Uno-X advises its own riders not to travel to World Championships in Rwanda: “No demands made, just goals set”

There are few events bigger than the World Championships, but the Norwegian squad is weighing other factors. “There are a lot of points to be earned at the Worlds if you do well, but it’s a tough course. It requires altitude training, preparation, and vaccinations,” general manager Thor Hushovd explained to TV2. “It means sacrificing a lot. We haven’t told our riders they can’t go, but we’ve said there might be other things that are more important.”

With the cycling calendar growing longer and more demanding every year, teams are having to think carefully about these kinds of decisions. “We can guide the athletes and say that we’d prefer not to have them ride the Worlds. Maybe people will question what kind of message that sends, turning down the chance to represent Norway with the flag on your chest, but the calendar is so tight now that we have to weigh everything carefully.”

It’s not like riders are banned from going to the World Championships. Whether that would even be allowed is up for debate, but in any case, Thor Hushovd has no intention of going that far. “If there are riders, like Tobias Halland Johannessen, for example, who have clearly expressed a strong desire to participate, then of course we’ll take that into account,” said the 2010 world champion from Geelong.

There are still plenty of important races coming up for Uno-X later this season, such as the GP Québec and GP Montréal. “I haven’t spoken with everyone individually, but my impression is that there hasn’t been a huge amount of interest expressed. The one-day races in Canada are important for us—there are a lot of points up for grabs, and they suit our climbers well. We haven’t imposed any demands, but we have set goals. And the races in Canada are definitely part of those goals.”