Mauro Schmid: “This podium means a lot to me”

April 22 ^nd 2026 - 17:30

Mauro Schmid (Jayco-AlUla) finished 2nd in the 2026 edition of La Flèche Wallonne.

“It was a pretty hard day out. With the tailwind, we spent our whole day on the pedals. The first hundred kilometres were harder than last year, in my opinion. I didn’t feel well at the start, nor in the first lap of the final circuit, but I knew the finish suited me and I still wanted to give it a crack so as not to let the team down. I started to feel super good into the finish, but then I messed up a bit in the run-in into the Mur and found myself quite far back. I was hoping for gaps to open up during the climb, and I was lucky they did so I could find my way through to the front. Afterwards, I just rode hard to the finish line in order to claim second place.”

“This podium result means a lot to me. I have already come to the Ardennes classics many times, yet never managed to be in good condition here as I was sick or beyond my own limits, struggling to keep myself in good shape. This season I thought I was going to be in the same position yet again today, because I started my season super early and I was unsure I could keep my shape this long. Anyway, after finishing inside the top10 last year, I knew I had a chance to stand on the podium today if I was near my best. It hasn’t been an easy race, and I’m super happy I have achieved this goal.”

“Paul Seixas is definitely impressive. Decathlon set a hard pace on the climbs all day long, and then he did a pretty fast final climb up the Mur. When he first went, with around 300 meters to go, I thought he may be overpacing - but then I saw the gaps he had created and realized he was just super strong. Not many guys have managed to win La Flèche Wallonne in their debut. Even Tadej [Pogacar] had to come here a few times before finally winning the race. He is definitely promising.”