Potential super domestique Gall faces setback every Grand Tour rider dreads

On paper, Felix Gall had two excellent climbing lieutenants for the Giro d’Italia, but in the first ten days, only Gregor Mühlberger delivered. The Austrian duo was dominant in the mountains, and hopes were high that Johannes Staune-Mittet would join them. Unfortunately, the young Norwegian has been sidelined by a troublesome cycling injury.

The 24-year-old Staune-Mittet is in his second season with Decathlon CMA CGM after terminating his contract with Visma | Lease a Bike in 2024. His first year in France was largely about adjusting and learning, but 2026 marked clear progress. In Algarve and the Basque Country, he supported Paul Seixas to victories, while in Catalonia, he rode for Gall.

In May, Staune-Mittet was slated to serve as Gall’s super domestique, but that plan hit a snag in the first week. "I felt really good heading into the Giro, but I was sick for the first ten days. On top of that, I developed an extra testicle, so the rest day on Monday came at the perfect time," he joked on Tuesday after his time trial with IDL ProCycling.

Continue reading below the photo

An extra testicle, also called a "third ball" or carbuncle, is a lump that develops under the saddle area. Sometimes riders even require surgery, as Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) did in 2024. Staune-Mittet has managed it so far. "I went for a walk on the rest day. You’d rather ride three hours on the bike, but it’s better to rest than push through and risk needing surgery."

Currently, Staune-Mittet experiences no pain and hopes for recovery. "It doesn’t hurt yet, though it’s quite large. It’s getting smaller, so I’m optimistic that my body will resolve it after my illness. I’m mostly happy that we still have two weeks to support Felix—we hope to achieve something great with him."

Gall powered through the first week of the Giro and entered the day-ten time trial just half a minute behind Jonas Vingegaard of Visma | Lease a Bike. However, in the 42-kilometer effort on Tuesday, Gall lost nearly a minute and a half, dropping from third to fourth overall.

Staune-Mittet sees a team leader ready to turn things around with the mountains ahead. "Even if you’re not going to win the Giro, you want to achieve something good. What that will be, we’ll see. Felix has more confidence than ever, which is more important than legs. With the extra confidence from the first week, I expect his engine will only run stronger."

Bram van der Ploeg ( X: @BvdPloegg | email : [email protected])