Breakaway focus as Uno-X Mobility heads to Vuelta a España
Cort will look for ending his GT-career with a stage win. (Photo: Getty Images)
Uno-X Mobility will race La Vuelta for the first time with a clear mission: chase stage wins, race aggressively and stay present almost every day in the final Grand Tour of the season.
At the centre of that mission is a squad built for breakaways, hard days and taking the chances when the race opens up.
“We know Spanish races well and we have raced a lot there over the years, but to do a Grand Tour there will be very special. To race all three Grand Tours in our first season with that opportunity is exciting,” says sports director Leonard Snoeks.
The ambition is not complicated. Uno-X Mobility wants to be in the race, be in the breakaways and fight for stage wins.
“Personally, I want us to be visible almost every day,” Snoeks says. “We need a good plan, and I want to see the collective work — also the fight you do not see on TV, before the broadcast starts. If we do that well, we should be part of the breakaways that go. We have won a stage in the Giro and in the Tour, and there is no reason why we should not be able to do it here as well. I also see no reason why we cannot win two.”
Andreas Kron ready for his first Grand Tour with the team. (Photo: Getty Images)
Our La Vuelta line-up
🇳🇴 Tobias Halland Johannessen
Stage-hunting role with the GC possibility kept open, especially through the first week.
🇳🇴 Andreas Leknessund
Breakaway and stage option for the harder days, especially when the race goes uphill.
🇩🇰 Andreas Kron
A strong card on hilly stages and steep finishes, with the ability to chase stage wins from the break.
🇩🇰 Simon Dalby
Climbing option and late-race support, especially on the most demanding terrain in weeks two and three.
🇳🇴 Martin Tjøtta
Breakaway and stage option for the climbing-heavy days.
🇳🇴 Fredrik Dversnes Lavik
Breakaway engine with a dangerous finish, especially on days where the fight starts early.
🇳🇴 Rasmus Tiller
Breakaway option, road presence and possible sprint card on the flatter opportunities.
🇩🇰 Magnus Cort
Experienced stage hunter with a strong finish from reduced groups and breakaways.
* Torstein Træen was originally set to race La Vuelta, but did not become ready in time due to illness.
Sports directors: Leonard Snoeks, Gino van Oudenhove and Asbjørn Kragh Andersen
Leonard Snoeks, DS for Uno-X Mobility
Stages first, with GC in the back of our minds
The overall focus is stage wins. At the same time, the team will not throw away a possible GC opportunity with Tobias Halland Johannessen just for the sake of racing aggressively too early.
“With a rider like Tobias, we know what he is capable of,” Snoeks says. “So we will not waste a possible GC opportunity in the first week by going completely empty here or there. GC is a little bit in the back of the mind, but stages are what we go for.”
That balance is important in Vuelta a España, where bigger breakaways can get space and the race situation can change quickly. Many stages can also start flatter before becoming selective later, which puts responsibility on riders who can handle the early battle.
If the breakaway does not decide the stage, Rasmus Tiller may also get opportunities on the flatter days if it comes down to a sprint from a reduced or controlled field.
“Rasmus has said himself that on the two or three flatter stages, he would like to try to sprint himself,” Snoeks says. “That is fun feedback from him. We come a little closer there when the finishes are not for the very fastest sprinters.”
For Cort, La Vuelta will be one of the last Grand Tours of a long career.
“Magnus is retiring, and he is looking forward to racing Vuelta a España one last time,” Snoeks says. “He has had a fantastic career. I hope he races and shows the greatness we know he has. It will be very special to be part of one of his last Grand Tours.”
Options when the road goes up
Tobias Halland Johannessen is ready for more mountain tops.
When the stages become harder, Andreas Kron, Andreas Leknessund, Martin Tjøtta and Simon Dalby give the team several cards to play. Kron and Leknessund come from Tour de Pologne, where the route included some strong uphill finishes. Tjøtta only had a short chance to show himself in the Giro before he had to abandon the race, while Tobias showed strength in the Tour de France.
Simon Dalby adds another climbing option to the line-up. He is still young, but after a difficult winter he has impressed in the races where he has been able to show himself.
“Simon is a young rider who had a difficult winter, but he made a very good impression in Switzerland and was riding well in Poland too before the crash, where we took him out. He is training well,” Snoeks says.
With the amount of climbing in the race, Dalby can become important later in the race.
“With the climbing profile and the form he has shown, Simon can be a good addition,” Snoeks says. “If we are in a good GC position in week two or three, he is also a rider who can sit there for a long time when it is extremely hilly towards the end.”
A hungry group
Uno-X Mobility goes into the Vuelta without one fixed captain for every scenario. That opens the door for several riders to get their chance, but it also demands discipline from the group.
“We are really looking forward to getting on the plane and getting started,” Snoeks says.
The responsibility on the road will be shared, with Tiller and Kron among the riders expected to help guide the group.
Rasmus Tiller is ready to attack his Grand Tour of the year (Photo: Getty Images).
“We do not have one clear road captain. It will be more of a shared responsibility,” Snoeks says.
The final Grand Tour of the season will not be easy. The climbing load is high, the heat can become a factor, and the breakaway fights can be brutal. But the goal is clear.
“We will be fun to watch, and we will be very present. It is a hungry group. The boys are ready.”
If Snoeks had to draw up one stage-winning scenario, he points to stage 15: a 190-kilometre stage with around 3,000 metres of climbing.
“We’ll get two riders into the breakaway through good teamwork,” he says. “Then we split what is left into a group of three, four or five, and we are there with a strong climber. That is a scenario that suits us very well.”
Andreas Leknessund during the Giro. Photo: Getty Sport
About the race
Vuelta a España runs from 22 August to 13 September, starting with an individual time trial in Monaco before moving through France, Andorra and Spain — and finishing three weeks later in Granada. Across 3,275 kilometres, the route offers chances for breakaway riders, climbers, puncheurs and time trial specialists, with four flat stages, four hilly stages, one hilly uphill-finish stage, four medium-mountain stages, six mountain stages and two individual time trials.
The biggest climbing tests are spread throughout the race, with stages to Andorra la Vella, Aramón Valdelinares, Alto de Aitana, Calar Alto, Sierra de La Pandera, Peñas Blancas and Collado del Alguacil. With more than 58,000 metres of elevation gain, La Vuelta will be a proper hard end to the Grand Tour season.
About Uno-X Mobility Cycling
Uno-X Mobility Cycling is a professional cycling team that combines a passion for racing with a vision for the future of mobility. The team, owned by Reitan Retail, primarily focuses on developing Norwegian and Danish talent, providing them with opportunities to compete at the highest international level. Through our commitment to young athletes, the promotion of future of mobility, and close collaboration with our partners, we aim to make a positive impact both within and beyond the sport of cycling. Uno-X Mobility's mission is to develop and promote solutions for the future of mobility.
For more information, contact:
Henning Askjer Lefsaker, Head of Communications.