Uno-X explains decision to bring two sprinters to the Tour: "We can’t expect to see him at the front every day"

Abrahamsen spent most of May at altitude and, like his teammates, returned in good shape. After a long breakaway in the Brussels Cycling Classic and a seventh place in Dwars door het Hageland, he had his sights set on a good classification in the Baloise Belgium Tour, which he confirmed in the first stage by picking up a few bonus seconds.

However, things went wrong in the final phase of the first stage: Abrahamsen crashed hard and broke his collarbone. “It was really unfortunate. For him, but also for the whole team. Jonas was in very good shape,” said the Belgian team manager of the Norwegian team. “He didn't want to abandon the race immediately but was in much pain. He carried on for a while, but the doctors ultimately decided it wasn't a good idea.”

Abrahamsen was one of the 2024 Tour de France revelations and wanted to continue that form this year. “Jonas fell ill after Paris-Nice, which affected his performance in the classics. He was just getting back on top when he crashed,” said Van den Oudenhove. “We don't know yet if he'll be able to make it to the Tour. We're working on it.”

“Jonas still believes in it,” he continues. “Unfortunately, it's part of the sport. Last week, Max Walscheid, whom I know well, also crashed in Dwars door het Hageland and will miss the Tour.

With Tirreno-Adriatico stage winner Fredrik Dversnes, Alexander Kristoff, Johannes Kulset, and Rasmus Tiller, Uno-X has four possible reserves for the Tour. "We had a balanced team on paper, so what happened to Jonas is unfortunate. When you see what he did on the Tour last year, you know he has improved slightly since then. Now we'll have to wait and see."

The team will also feature Omloop Het Nieuwsblad winner Soren Waerenskjold in the Tour de France, whom we haven't seen much of since his surprise victory in Ninove. “In the final stage of Tirreno-Adriatico, his chain came off, but he was still there. And in the Dauphiné, he finished third once.”

“But he's the kind of guy that the media and the team just have to get used to not seeing all the time,” says Van Oudenhove. “That's the beauty of a rider like him: when he's on form, he can excel at the highest level. That's also why we're taking him to the tour; you never know with this guy.”

So we'd better keep an eye on Waerenskjold in Lille, even though Uno-X has another sprinter in Stian Fredheim for the Tour. "With Soren, it's often all or nothing, so Stian can also take his chances when it's not working out for Soren. He's already done that in the Dauphiné and many other races. Stian has taken a step forward, but our priority remains Soren."

In the mountains, the Norwegian team is relying on the Johannessen brothers. Tobias recently finished an impressive fifth in the Dauphiné, while Anders won the Tour of Slovenia. “For me, those guys are on the same level. Tobias has had a knee problem this year, while Anders has had his first really good winter.”

“They are guys who like to race, so we're not worried about the first week,” said Van Oudenhove, who knows they don't have to do all the work at Uno-X. “Tobias has already ridden the Tour of Flanders and a bunch of other classics.”