Staune-Mittet is being prepped at Visma | Lease a Bike, with and without Vingegaard: "That was a good answer, wasn't it?"

Following Primoz Roglic's departure, Visma | Lease a Bike's focus in stage racing revolves solely around one man. Jonas Vingegaard is the main leader, and his crash during the Tour of the Basque Country was a major blow to the team. We might almost forget that the Danish star was once a young guy, new to the highest level of cycling. Johannes Staune-Mittet is currently in that phase, having moved up from the youth development program and thrown into the WorldTour. IDLProCycling.com spoke with the 22-year-old Norwegian.

Staune-Mittet has only been officially part of the WorldTour team for a few months, but he is already well-known among cycling experts. In 2023, he dominated the Giro NextGen, a race for the U23, and put himself in the spotlight. Especially after he also won a stage in the Tour of Czech Republic (2.1) and, a year earlier, the highly esteemed Ronde de l'Isard. His move to the WorldTour was a natural next step. Just like it was for Vingegaard, who also joined the Killer Bees at age 22.

Staune-Mittet very eager to learn in first months

However, Staune-Mittet told us that his first weeks with the new teammates were quite challenging. "I had to end my season early last year due to a crash," he says, referring to his unfortunate withdrawal on day one of the Tour de l’Avenir in August 2023. "Heading into winter, I was able to start training early, but I had to start from scratch. As a result, I struggled with my form in the first races of this season, but I am very happy with where I am now. We have been building and building since the beginning of the year."

Visma | Lease a Bike has not been cautious in fielding the Norwegian, that much is clear. He first went to Australia for the Tour Down Under, where he supported Bart Lemmen. "Then I went to altitude training with the big guys," he says, beaming with pride. After Tenerife, there was a week in the pouring rain in Galicia, at O Gran Camiño. "Those are all experiences that will be very important for my future. The altitude camp and O Gran Camiño were really cool. The bad weather in Spain was no problem for me. I struggled a lot more with the heat in Australia. That was really tough, so it will always be worse than any weather conditions."

"It was an amazing experience to learn from the best cyclists in the world, and I would love to continue doing that. It's cliché but true: trust the process. I take my time, but I also go as fast as I can," continues Staune-Mittet, who appears incredibly eager to learn. "I can't really give an example. I learn from everything. Maybe it's the fact that, as a young guy, you're always looking for that next step and always pushing to achieve that. But I've noticed that even the world's best riders are capable of switching off and giving their body and mind rest. To be 'on', you sometimes have to be 'off'. That was beautiful to see, and it really inspired me." He starts to laugh. "That was a good answer, wasn't it?"

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Milan-Sanremo was an eye-opener for Staune-Mittet

Learn, learn, learn, that's what we're hearing. But Staune-Mittet is not satisfied with just looking around for a year. He is strict with himself and wants to deliver as soon as the opportunity arises, even in 2024. "The legs are slowly getting there. In Coppi e Bartali, we won a race as a team, but now I'm ready to start winning races myself," he refers to Koen Bouwman's overall victory in the week-long Italian stage race. Visma | Lease a Bike went there without a team leader, and Bouwman seized his chance.

The climber is hoping for a similar scenario later this year. "I think I can win, yes. Although I will also be racing in major events." He also rode in the ill-fated Tour of the Basque Country (that resulted in massive setbacks for the team), first with and then without Vingegaard. "Then there's no doubt about my role. Leading up to the summer, I'll ride more races like that and try to absorb all the experiences. However, in races like Coppi e Bartali, I'm allowed to go for it. I had super good legs in Coppi e Bartali. I'm ready for what I need to do."

Which means racing in the biggest events, like Milan-San Remo. Did Staune-Mittet participate? Yes, he finished sixtieth. But that was about it. "Struggled with positioning," said his team afterwards. He laughs: "The guys in Coppi e Bartali said that positioning was very difficult there, but then I tell them that a race like that can be hectic, but it's nothing compared to Milan-San Remo. The pace there is so high, and the riders are so good and equal... I always raced in pelotons of fifty men, where I was strong enough to get to the front. I never learned to survive a race, hidden in a peloton. Milan-San Remo was very important for me, I need to level up there to be competitive."