UAE domestique writes remarkable story after surprise transfer and equally surprising first pro win

A heart warming story comes out of Spain this Tuesday afternoon. Julius Johansen won the opening time trial at O Gran Camiño to claim his first ever professional victory. In the process, he beat former teammate Rafael Reis from the Anicolor squad. There was plenty of joy for the Dane, who recently told IDL Pro Cycling how much he enjoys riding for his teammates at UAE Team Emirates-XRG.

Those who recognise the name Julius Johansen may remember him from his time at Uno-X or Intermarché. The Dane rode for those teams between 2020 and 2023, before dropping to Portuguese continental outfit Sabgal/Anicolor in 2024. There he raced alongside Reis, the man he met again this week at O Gran Camiño.

UAE spotted his potential and signed Johansen for 2025. "Julius has a lot of WorldTour experience and we feel his profile can add strength to our team when it comes to supporting our leaders," team boss Mauro Gianetti said at the time.

Johansen called it a dream come true. "I know this is the perfect environment for me to grow and develop as a rider. I'm looking forward to helping the team win." He did exactly that in his first year. The team of world champion Tadej Pogačar recorded an unprecedented 97 victories in 2025.

The switch took some adjusting. "That's always different," the Dane told us late last month. "For me it was wonderful, because I've always been a rider who supports the leaders. It's great to come to a team where you always have a leader and where you almost always carry responsibility as a squad. That makes my role much more enjoyable."

And his own chances? Well, he got one on Tuesday in the opening time trial. He grabbed it with both hands: the rider from Blovstrød blew the field away to claim his first professional win. "I'm very happy with today. It's my first pro victory and I'm really proud," he said afterwards.

There was plenty of drama in the time trial, with several riders puncturing. "It was a really tough day, with quite a bit of wind as well. There's a strong field here too." Johansen had not rated his chances too highly. "I knew I was in good form, but my wife was the only one who truly believed I could win. I was hoping for a top five, but standing here with the victory is amazing."

The Dane was the last rider to start, while his former teammate, Rafael Reis, sat in the hot seat. "I saw on the live tracker that he had the best time just before I was about to start. I know him well from when we were teammates. I know how strong he is, but I also knew there were some strong riders still out on the course."

With that in mind, Johansen set off — and quickly ran into problems. "My power meter might not have been calibrated properly, because my numbers were almost non-existent. I was riding 30 watts below what I'd expected, but ended up finishing nearly two minutes faster."

It all came together in the end. "At the finish I had no idea what time I'd done or where I'd placed. When they told me I'd won, I could barely believe it. Sitting here feels incredible," the Dane said with a broad smile.