If it’s up to Uno-X Mobility team boss Thor Hushovd, his riders won’t head to the 2025 World Championships in Rwanda. A remarkable statement, considering the Norwegian himself became world champion fifteen years ago (2010) in Geelong, Australia. However, the former two-time winner of the Tour de France points classification doesn’t impose any demands, he told Norwegian TV2.
The Norwegian ProTeam has made significant progress in the promotion and relegation battle thanks to a strong Tour de France. Uno-X Mobility could even break into the top 18 on their own merit, which would secure promotion to the WorldTour for the next three years. "You can also earn a lot of points at the Worlds if you perform well, but it's a tough course. Riders need to attend a high-altitude training camp, follow specific preparation, and get vaccinations. It’s a major sacrifice."
Thor Hushovd in conversation with WielerFlits reporter Youri IJnsen – photo: Ridley
Hushovd has not told his riders that they are not allowed to participate, but he did tell them that there might be more important matters. "We can guide riders and say: don’t race the Worlds. You can question what kind of message that sends if we say ‘no’ to wearing the Norwegian flag on our chests. But the calendar is long and full. We have to carefully weigh what we want. However, if individual athletes – like Tobias Halland Johannessen – make a request, we certainly take that into consideration."
The Norwegian team needs all riders to make a difference in the final weeks of the season. Jonas Abrahamsen won Circuit Franco-Belge last Friday, and Søren Wærenskjold took a stage in the Tour of Denmark. "I haven’t spoken to everyone personally, but I don’t think many of our riders want to race at the Worlds. The one-day races in Canada are important for us, where we can also grab a lot of UCI points. They suit our climbers well. We don’t set any demands towards the Worlds, but we do have our goals like in Canada."
