Thor Hushovd confident in Uno-X's strength: 5 riders is enough to win Tour stage!

Ten stages and two points jerseys in the Tour, world champion, classics like Gent-Wevelgem and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, and so on: if there is one Norwegian who knows how things work in the cycling world, it's Hushovd. However, he did not have an easy start when he took over leadership at Uno-X from Jens Haugland on February 1.

On Haugland's last official working day (January 31), Søren Wærenskjold secured a victory in the AlUla Tour, but then the results stagnated. The Norwegians couldn't deliver what they had hoped for in the Flemish spring, after participating in the Tour for the first time last season.

Jonas Abrahamsen did finish second in Dwars door Vlaanderen, and in the cold edition of the Flèche Wallonne, the team managed a sixth place with Tobias Halland Johannessen, but that was about it. From May 1 onwards, the tide seemed to have turned completely, as they embarked on a winning streak that has not yet ended at the time of writing.

Alexander Kristoff, who replaced Hushovd at BMC in 2012, broke the streak in the Elfstedenronde on May 5. After that, victories followed from Tord Gudmestad (Veenendaal-Veenendaal), Abrahamsen (Brussels Cycling Classic), Magnus Cort (Critérium du Dauphiné), Wærenskjold (stage and overall victory in Baloise Belgium Tour, as well as the Norwegian time trial championship), and multiple wins by Kristoff in the Antwerp Port Epic, Tour of Norway and Heistse Pijl.

"The level is still higher in the big classics, but I don't know," Hushovd explained the difference between the spring and these months. A successful altitude camp also contributed to their success. "Maybe our guys are better in the heat, even though they are Scandinavian riders. As a team, we are taking things step by step, and maybe Flanders and Roubaix are still a step too high for us at the moment. We are still learning."

"We deserve it now, but on the other hand, we also need to learn why we are so much better in May and June," Hushovd points out. "We want to have this form in March and April as well, but that discussion is for next season. For now, we are happy with what we are showing and every victory we achieve. It gives us confidence for the Tour."

"Hard work and dedication, that's the secret," says the Norwegian. "That applies to both the riders and the support team. We have invested in the entire support system: performance, certain products, staff, nutrition, chefs, and so on. That is now paying off. We can continue on this path, and it will come naturally, even in the big races. Now we are showing that we have taken a step forward, and we can confirm that in the Tour. The goal there is clear: we want to win a stage. With whom? That can be with five riders."

Uno-X was the first to announce their team for the Tour: Kristoff, Abrahamsen, Wærenskjold, Cort, Johannessen, Rasmus Tiller, Odd Christian Eiking and Johannes Kulset will ride the Tour de France for the team. In a press release, Hushovd called it "a good combination of lead-out skills, climbing skills, and general riding strength." Little is said about roles, such as those of Cort and Kristoff in tough sprint stages. "We will continue to build the team around the biggest Norwegian and Danish profiles, and it is therefore really nice that we have both Magnus Cort and Alexander Kristoff on this year's team."

Magnus Cort
Alexander Kristoff
Søren Wærenskjold
Jonas Abrahamsen
Tobias Halland Johannessen
Johannes Kulset
Rasmus Fossum Tiller
Odd Christian Eiking