Studded tires and losing liters of sweat in his girlfriend’s bathroom: How a Norwegian Tour sensation aims to step up in the Classics
Cycling
Follow IDL Pro Cycling on Google
Stay up to date with the best cycling news by making us a preferred source on Google.
Follow us on GoogleJonas Abrahamsen made a name for himself last summer with his aggressive riding style in the Tour de France, but the 29-year-old Norwegian had already shown flashes of his talent in the Classics earlier in the season. This spring, he hopes to continue that momentum, putting in extreme preparation to do so. IDLProCycling.com spoke with the friendly Viking of Uno-X in AlUla, where he shared details of his Spartan winter training routine.
ADVERTISEMENT
Anyone who has come across Abrahamsen’s training schedule this winter—either on Strava or Instagram—would have been shocked. After a well-earned break at the Tour de France criterium in Singapore, he logged over 100 hours on the indoor trainer.
"If you live in Norway, you have to train on rollers," says Abrahamsen, who spent up to six hours a day riding indoors. "You get used to it, so it’s not that bad. In fact, you can do very specific interval training indoors. You can dial in your exact power and everything."
"My rollers are set up in my girlfriend’s apartment in Oslo, where we have a dedicated room for it. I open the window and put on some good music. What kind of music? Hip-hop, but honestly, a bit of everything. When you spend that many hours on the trainer, you need to have a broad taste in music."
Read more below the video!
Abrahamsen cycled outdoors on studded tires
Unlike fellow Norwegian riders such as Johannes Staune-Mittet, who primarily trained indoors, Jonas Abrahamsen braved the freezing cold of -10°C to ride outside whenever possible. "I have studded tires on my bike, as well as a gravel bike with wider tires. It’s also important to have good overshoes and gloves. Honestly, it’s not that bad—actually, it’s better to ride in -10°C than in 3°C with rain." To warm up quickly afterward, he follows up his long endurance rides with a heat training session of about 50 minutes.
"Sometimes it’s nice to be able to ride outside when you’re already spending so much time on the trainer," Abrahamsen explains. "I did heat training five times over three weeks. That way, you warm up again after five hours of freezing on the bike in -10°C. And honestly, it’s also a mental challenge because you know you’re doing something totally crazy," he laughs.
Read more below the video!
"I do the heat workouts in the bathroom, so the temperature stays consistent," says Abrahamsen, who trains at 30°C for these sessions. "I lose about two liters of fluid in 50 minutes, so it’s quite a lot. Luckily, we have an air purifier that collects the moisture—after a session, there’s about a liter and a half in it. Otherwise, my girlfriend’s apartment would look very different, haha."
This isn't a training method you'd hear from Dutch or Belgian riders, who nowadays prefer to escape to Spain for their winter preparation. "I’ve found a good balance. In November, after a long racing season, I want to be in Norway. In December, I usually spend two weeks in Gran Canaria before coming home for Christmas. In January, we have a training camp with the team, and then the season starts. After AlUla, I went straight to altitude training for three weeks before racing continuously until mid-April," says the Norwegian, who is currently training in the Sierra Nevada.
Read more below the video!
Abrahamsen wants to step up in classics
This is only the second time Abrahamsen has trained at altitude, after his first experience in May last year, which he believes paid off throughout the summer. "I felt like I improved a lot from it. In my first races back, I was able to win the Brussels Cycling Classic straight away," says the rider who gained attention in July for his aggressive racing style in the Tour de France.
"So, it’s great that I can now try altitude training for the Classics as well. I’m also adjusting certain things because spring races are largely about punch efforts, so I’m focusing more on that," says Abrahamsen, who is best known for his long-range breakaways. "It was good for me to attack so often last year, so hopefully, that experience helps in races that are over 200 kilometers long."
So, what can we expect from him? "My goal is to be better than last year. Hopefully, I can perform well in the Monuments—that’s my ambition. Flanders and Roubaix stand out as my biggest goals. But there are plenty of great races, and I still have many to win. Last year, I was already close in Dwars door Vlaanderen."
"I hope I’ve improved, but of course, that’s what everyone hopes for. I’m focusing more on the details—training just a bit better, eating smarter, and resting more efficiently. Hopefully, that pays off in March and April." Because after all, all those crazy training sessions have to count for something...
Read also
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
IDL-productions
Glasgow set to shine as World Cup demand outstrips expectations and Mason eyes first home cyclocross race
Pogačar, Vingegaard and Van Aert went faster again in 2026... except when they didn't
Team GB dominate, China on the rise, Lavreysen the best ever? Five takeaways from the 2026 Track World Championships
Track World Championships day 2: A golden day for Team GB, Levreysen goes 2 for 2, and Kopecky eliminates the competition
Rumours, speculation and guesswork: 2027 Tour de France route will be revealed live on October 22 in Paris
Latest Cycling News
Disqualified Schreiber refuses to attend European Championship podium: 'Disrespectful to take away the biggest moment of my career'
Luxembourg Federation file official complaint following Schreiber's relegation
Fears of serious injury to Alvarado, bronze medalist, after the European Cyclocross Championships
National coach calls Pim Ronhaar's disappointing home European Championship race 'just a total disaster'
Mason delivers performance for the ages at European Championships: 'What a privilege it is to pour my heart and soul into it'
Popular Cycling News
Alberto Contador thinks 2027 Tour de France will be different: 'Pogačar is only this good because of Vingegaard'
Disqualified Schreiber refuses to attend European Championship podium: 'Disrespectful to take away the biggest moment of my career'
Sven Nys was first to speak with Lucinda Brand immediately after European Championship drama: "Is that enough to ultimately relegate someone'
Fears of serious injury to Alvarado, bronze medalist, after the European Cyclocross Championships
Schreiber's team manager Sanne Cant reacts furiously to European Championship relegation: "We're not going to let this slide."
Latest Comments
- Is the Giro the race that happens before the Tour? And does winning the mountains jersey mean Carapaz scored the most points on climbs? Which race was everyone’s favourite?bikebuffj05-11-2026
- How did Mathieu van der Poel miss the list? His classics results surely put him in the conversation.sprocketspiny05-11-2026
- McNulty deserves more credit than his ranking suggests. A world title and all that work as a domestique make for a superb season.tourdeforce905-11-2026
- Seixas winning Lombardia at 20 is astonishing. The “next Pogačar” label feels a bit premature, though—let him build his own story before piling on the comparisons.andrewf05-11-2026
- Pogačar’s palmarès is ridiculous, but Van Aert deserves a special mention for Roubaix. Beating Tadej in the velodrome was one of the moments of the season.cyclechamp4505-11-2026
- I’m still learning the calendar: is cyclocross mainly preparation for the spring classics, or does he race it as a separate goal as well? I’d love to see him back in the mud.jeremya04-11-2026
- The article makes it sound as if Roubaix is the only classic where he has a realistic shot. He’s been close in Flanders too, and one good tactical day can change everything.jennifer1904-11-2026
- Milan-Sanremo and Roubaix is a pretty special pair of Monuments. Any clues yet on which cyclocross races he’ll target?andrewf04-11-2026
- He’s right to be realistic about Flanders with Pogačar and Evenepoel around, but you can’t count Van Aert out on those roads. If he gets the right opportunity, he has the engine and experience to take it.davidm04-11-2026
- That Roubaix win felt like such a release after all the near-misses. Brilliant to hear that joy outweighed relief for Wout.patriciaw04-11-2026