Credit: Jazmin Campbell, Chronicle.lu

On Friday 19 September 2025, the third stage - considered the “queen stage” - of the Škoda Tour de Luxembourg saw riders cover 170.5 kilometres from Mertert to Vianden.

The third day took the peloton across demanding terrain under the strong afternoon sun, before arriving at the picturesque Vianden Castle. Departing from Mertert, the riders faced the climbs of Beaufort and Munshausen, followed by the Spuerkeess Bonus Sprint - 52.4 km from the finish. They went up against three successive ascents of the Niklosbierg within the last 50 kilometres. The arrival of the riders in the medieval courtyard of Vianden Castle is considered one of the highlights of the five-day race.

Ahead of the event, Škoda Tour de Luxembourg President Andy Schleck said the finale would be “brutal and unforgettable: a narrow cobbled road with gradients up to 18% leading straight into the medieval castle courtyard. A finish for pure climbers”. He added that the winner of this stage would be “a strong favourite for overall victory.”

Ultimately, it was Danish cyclist Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl–Trek) who won the queen stage. He crossed the finish line around 16:40, having completed the stage in 04:05:07. Not far behind was French rider Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies) in second place, followed by USA rider Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates XRG) in third place. Arno Wallenborn was the fastest rider for the Luxembourg national team, finishing 15th. Stage 2 winner, Luxembourg’s Mathieu Kockelmann, finished the queen stage in 79th place.

For much of the stage, several breakaway attempts animated the race. A leading group of riders formed, including Simon Guglielmi (Arkéa–B&B Hotels) and Thomas Gachignard (TotalEnergies) from France, Norway's Ådne Holter (Uno-X Mobility) and France's Hugo Renard Haquin (Wagner Bazin WB), who built an advantage of over a minute on the peloton. They were later joined by others, among them Switzerland's Silvan Dillier (Alpecin–Deceuninck) and Denmark's Julius Gudnitz (Team ColoQuick), before the break was gradually reduced on the final climbs. By the last 30 kilometres, only Guglielmi, Gachignard and Holter remained at the front, but their efforts were eventually neutralised as the favourites prepared for the decisive ascent into Vianden.

Following his stage win, Mattias Skjelmose has taken the yellow jersey from French rider Romain Gregoire (Groupama–FDJ), who finished the latest stage in 29th place and now ranks 25th overall. Skjelmose, who won the 2022 Škoda Tour de Luxembourg, currently has an overall time of 11:34:29. Jordan Jegat and Brandon McNulty rank 2nd and 3rd, respectively, overall.

The atmosphere in Vianden was festive on Friday evening, with crowds gathering to cheer on the riders. Among those to congratulate the podium finishers were the Mayor of Vianden, François Weyrich, and Luxembourg's Minister for Culture and Minister Delegate for Tourism, Eric Thill.

The Škoda Tour de Luxembourg will continue on Saturday 20 September 2025 with the Individual Time Trial stage in Niederanven (26.3 km). The race will end on Sunday 21 September 2025 with a 176.4 km route going from Mersch to Luxembourg-Limpertsberg.