This is our team for Giro d’Italia
Photo: Getty Sport
Uno-X Mobility Cycling heads into its first ever Giro d’Italia with two clear ambitions above all: to fight for a stage win and put Johannes Kulset high up in the GC.
The team arrives with several ways toget the stage win. Erlend Blikra will get his chances in the sprints and on the hard, open and hilly days, the team has several riders built for the breakaway.
Sports Director Emil Vinjebo is clear about what would make the Giro a success.
“The very clear goal is to get a stage win. But if we do not manage that, and still have many good results, have raced well as a team and Johannes succeeds in GC, then I will be satisfied. But to put it sharply, a stage win is the goal and what makes it a success,” Vinjebo says.
When asked what a good GC-placement for Kulset would be, he answers that “the dream is to see him fight for top 10” but the most important thing is that he gets the feeling to fight for every second over 3 weeks.
Our lineup for Giro d’Italia
🇳🇴 Johannes Kulset
Our GC rider for the race, taking on the general classification in a Grand Tour for the first time.
🇳🇴 Erlend Blikra
Our sprinter for the Giro, with several chances in what looks like a strong sprint field.
🇳🇴 Andreas Leknessund
A stage hunter with a proven Grand Tour engine, especially suited to breakaway days on hilly and medium mountain terrain.
🇳🇴 Markus Hoelgaard
Road captain and one of the team’s most experienced Grand Tour riders, with an important role in the sprints, around Kulset and in breakaways.
🇳🇴 Fredrik Dversnes Lavik
A stage hunter with a strong finish, dangerous from a bigger breakaway group on the right day.
🇳🇴 Sakarias Koller Løland
An important part of the lead-out for Blikra, but also an option on days that could end in a reduced bunch sprint.
🇳🇴 Martin Tjøtta
Kulset’s key support rider through the three weeks, with the possibility to take his own chance if the race opens up.
🇳🇴 Ådne Holter
A strong support rider around Kulset, while also being a rider the team would be very happy to place in a breakaway.
Our DS’es will be Emil Vinjebo, Michael Blaudzun, Max Kørner (and Gabriel Rasch for the first days.)
Emil VInjebo, Sports Director. Photo: Getty Sport
Kulset takes on a new GC role
One of the key storylines for Uno-X Mobility will be Johannes Kulset riding GC in a Grand Tour for the first time.
Kulset has shown his qualities in demanding stage races, but the Giro is a different test: three weeks of positioning, recovery and fighting for every second. For Vinjebo, this is an important step in his development.
“Kulset is prepared for this, mentally and physically — where he ends up is not the most important thing, but this is a process and about learning how to fight for three weeks in a row. This is a bit of unknown territory for him. He has it in him to ride GC, and we believe in him,” Vinjebo says.
The plan is to back Kulset in the GC all the way, while still giving the team freedom to chase stages from breakaways. Leknessund, Lavik, Hoelgaard, Tjøtta, Løland and Holter all bring qualities for the hard and hilly days.
“If you ask how we win a stage in the Giro, we win on the days where we ride in the breakaway, preferably with more than one rider in the breakaway, and race smart out there. Then there is Erlend, because anything can happen in a sprint,” Vinjebo says.
A Grand Tour rarely follows the script, but Vinjebo has marked out some days that could suit the team especially well. Stage 5 stands out as a hard and long breakaway day, Stage 11 brings plenty of hills, and Stage 18 comes deep into the final week with a profile almost shaped like a classics race.
Blikra from the win in Oman: Photo: Getty Sport
Blikra gets the sprint chances
Blikra gives Uno-X Mobility a clear option in the sprint stages, with the opener in Bulgaria standing out immediately as a chance to sprint for the first maglia rosa.
“Erlend is here to sprint, and there are many opportunities in this year’s Giro. The sprint field will be strong, but we believe that Blikra has the speed to be in the mix when everything comes together,” Vinjebo says.
Getting Blikra to Rome will also be part of the task, with Stages 14 and 19 standing out as the toughest obstacles.
“We do believe that Erlend will get to Rome, but there are two extreme days — Stages 14 and 19. In general, though, this Giro is not insanely extreme. He should be able to make it, but he needs a team that can help him through those days,” Vinjebo says and points out that on some harder sprint days, Løland could also become the team’s option from a reduced group.
No matter what happens, Uno-X wants to race true to our own identity: offensive, opportunistic and ready to use the collective.
“We ride to win, and we ride offensively. We might not arrive with the presumed fastest sprinter or the strongest GC contender, but we have a collective of quality riders. I promise that the Giro is something our fans should look forward to,” Vinjebo says.
Photo: Getty Sport
About the race
The 109th Giro d’Italia runs from 8 to 31 May, starting with three stages in Bulgaria before moving through Italy and finishing in Rome. Across 3,459 kilometres, the route offers chances for sprinters, breakaway riders and GC contenders — with nine flat stages, six hilly stages, five mountain stages and one individual time trial. The biggest climbing tests come later, with summit finishes including Blockhaus, Pila, Carì, Piani di Pezzè and Piancavallo.
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.