Leknessund stays in red and yellow until 2029
Photo: Getty Sport
The “dog from Tromsø” extends with Uno-X Mobility Cycling until the end of 2029.
Andreas Leknessund will keep wearing red and yellow for three more years. Known in the team as “Bikkja” — the dog — our breakaway specialist on rolling terrain, time trialist and climber will continue to put everything out there for us, probably with his head slightly tilted, either being chased or chasing someone down.
The timing for releasing the contract extension could hardly feel more natural. During the Giro d’Italia, Leknessund has once again shown exactly why he is such an important rider for Uno-X Mobility Cycling. Three second places, repeated days in the breakaway and an enormous amount of strong racing have made him one of the standout riders of our Giro.
Andreas ahead of the Giro start in Bulgaria. Photo: Uno-X Mobility Cycling.
An easy choice
For Leknessund, extending with Uno-X Mobility Cycling was something he wanted from the start.
“Uno-X really feels like home for me. I spent two years with the development team here, turned pro, and eventually came back. I’m really happy with the opportunities I get in this team, and there is no one else I would rather race for than this Norwegian-Danish project,” says Leknessund.
He points to the culture as one of the main reasons.
“It was honestly a pretty easy choice. I had a strong wish to stay. Uno-X has a unique culture. We are a Scandinavian team, and that creates a very special atmosphere. Many people have been here for a long time, and I feel like I have grown up together with the project — even though I had three years away from it. It is exciting to continue and see how far we can take it together.”
Leknessund has been part of the Uno-X story from early on, and he has become one of our key riders for the biggest races on the calendar. His reliability, strength and ability to take on different roles make him a hugely valuable rider to bring into Grand Tours, stage races and hard one-day battles.
Photo: Uno-X Mobility Cycling.
A key building block
General Manager Thor Hushovd is delighted to extend with one of the team’s most important riders.
“Andreas is such a strong rider, and we couldn’t be happier to extend with him. He is now in his third consecutive season with us, and throughout that period he has shown his value time and time again. He can support others, take responsibility and go for his own chances when the opportunity is there. That flexibility is incredibly important for us,” says Hushovd.
Leknessund points out, however, that he does not feel like a finished product.
“No, I don’t think I have fully found myself as a rider yet. I am still trying to figure out what I want to be. Maybe I am a bit of a potato. I have weaknesses, but my biggest strength is probably that I am quite strong. When that strength comes into its own, I feel good,” he says.
That strength has taken him far. But Leknessund also knows what he wants to develop further.
“Maybe it is about more often turning a second place into a victory. I have quite a few of those. Maybe I need a bit more cynicism and to gamble a little more, to solve things in other ways than with pure power and strength.”
Photo: Getty Sport
From strength to sharpness
Leknessund believes part of that comes from how he has won races in the past.
“Since I started riding fast and winning things, I have usually either come to the finish alone or done well in time trials. My specialist skill has without doubt been to ride away from people. But the depth in every race is so big now that you cannot just ride everyone off the wheel anymore. I might need to find other ways to turn second places into wins and get more victories,” he says.
He also points to the team’s points chase last season as an important learning process.
“I think I benefited from that. Earlier, if I was in a bigger group and the win was already gone, I did not always switch on enough for the placings behind. But I have understood that 12th place can be good too — for points, but also because you learn to maximise a result from the group you are in. I think I have sharpened up a bit. I have been in groups fighting for victory, and earlier I maybe did not know well enough when I should open my sprint. You get training from having a bigger focus on that in every group.”
And he believes the whole team took steps in the same direction.
“I think the whole team got better at this last year. Everyone was chasing results all the way.”
Photo: Getty Sport
Big ambitions
The next three years will take Leknessund and Uno-X Mobility Cycling through an important period of the team’s development. He believes the team is ready to continue aiming high.
“I think the team has had a good and healthy development from the first year. We have taken it step by step, even though last year was a real breakthrough with a top 10 in the Tour and a stage victory. This year, we have already taken another big step with our first Giro stage win, and we have been close on several other occasions. Doing that consistently in the Grand Tours would be big. We have already shown that we can win stages in the Tour and Giro. Over the next three years, I hope we can build on that – with more Grand Tour stage wins, also in the Vuelta, and maybe a GC podium in one of them,” says Leknessund.
“The goal is actually to win a Grand Tour overall. We have to set the bar high, even if it sounds ambitious. But if you look at where we are now, that is actually the next step.”
For Leknessund personally, one dream stands above the rest.
“A stage win in the Tour. That one is pretty clear.”
Leknessund’s racing at the Giro d’Italia has shown us all that the goal is within reach.
For more information, contact:
Henning Askjer Lefsaker, Head of Communications.