Uno-X will line up next season among cycling’s elite. The Norwegian team has secured a WorldTour licence for the next three years. It’s a major milestone for the squad that comes with both excitement and a dose of realism.
The promotion followed a bit of a shake-up in the men’s peloton. With the merger between Lotto and Intermarché-Wanty and the collapse of Arkéa-B&B, two long-standing teams disappeared, opening the door for Uno-X to move up. “Promotion to the WorldTour was partly a goal,” team manager Thor Hushovd said to Sporza. “But in January, we realized we were still far from achieving it.”
The rise of Uno-X
Uno-X’s rise came after a tight points battle with Cofidis, which began the season almost 3,000 points ahead. “To be honest, we never really changed our strategy,” Hushovd said. “We didn’t race for points — we raced to win. We proved that right to the end with Sakarias Koller Løland’s victory at the Veneto Classic.”
While celebrating the promotion, the former world champion also voiced concern for the sport’s financial health. “It’s sad that traditional teams like Cofidis disappear from the WorldTour,” Hushovd said. “Salaries are high and millions watch the races, yet some teams still struggle to find sponsors. The business model might still not be working as it should.”
Big plans for the future
The move means Uno-X will now receive automatic invitations to all WorldTour events. That includes the Tour, the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España. “It’s our plan to race all three Grand Tours next year,” Hushovd said.
7-Eleven returns to the pro peloton with Uno-X tribute at Liège
As for ambitions, Hushovd has big plans. That includes podiums in classics and top-10 finishes in week-long stage races. Looking ahead, he points to Tobias Halland Johannessen and Johannes Kulset as riders who can shape the team’s future — and perhaps even Norway’s next Tour contender.
“With ambition and hard work, a lot is possible,” Hushovd said. “And by 2030, I don’t think Pogačar will be winning the Tour anymore.”
In 2030, Pogi will be 32 — the same age the great Bernard Hinault retired. Will the Slovenian still be winning Tours de France? Who knows. Maybe by then we’ll see robot soigneurs in the feed zones and riders arriving in flying buses.
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