‘I just started screaming’: Uno-X team boss delighted with Tour de France wildcard invitation
Jens Haugland said his team will race in a "very positive and attacking" way this July
Uno-X general manager Jens Haugland was overcome with emotion after finding out his team will line up at the Tour de France for the first time this July.
The Scandinavian team will join fellow ProTeam Israel-Premier Tech as the two wildcard invitations at the 2023 edition of the race.
Speaking exclusively to Cycling Weekly on Wednesday, Haugland explained how race director Christian Prudhomme called him on New Year’s Day to tell him the good news.
“It was a very, very friendly phone call," he said. "He had a good laugh and I had to spend quite a lot of time after that call just to remember everything. He asked me if we were ready for 2023 because we’re going to race the Tour de France.
"I just started screaming," the Uno-X manager laughed. “[There were] a lot of emotions. I have devoted a lot of time to trying to make sure this happens. It’s just huge, enormous for a young team like ours.”
After forming as a Continental team in 2010, Norwegian-registered Uno-X were promoted to ProTeam status in 2020. This year’s Tour will be the team’s first three-week Grand Tour.
“We feel that this is the correct next step for us,” Haugland said. “We’re not in the Tour de France because we're nice people. We’re in the Tour de France because we have a very good cycling team, and that acknowledgement from the organiser is of course enormous for Norwegian and Scandinavian cycling.”
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
When they take the start line in July, Uno-X will become the first Scandinavian team in a decade to race at the Tour, following on from then Danish-registered Saxo-Tinkoff in 2013.
According to Haugland, the team will not hold any GC ambitions, but instead will deploy aggressive tactics to target stage wins.
“We’re not going to be defensive, we’re going to be very positive and attacking in our racing,” he said. “No one can tell me that we are not able to win a stage in the Tour de France this year.”
One rider who knows what victory feels like at the race is former European champion Alexander Kristoff, who joined Uno-X this season from Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert. The 35-year-old Norwegian has started nine Tours de France in his career and taken four stage wins, claiming the yellow jersey on the opening day in 2020.
Asked about the importance of having Kristoff on the team, Haugland said: “He brings this experience and calmness into the whole situation.
“It means a lot to us to have Alex on board as a captain and also a leader of the team going into such an experience.”
The 2023 Tour de France will start in Bilbao, Spain on 1 July.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Tom joined Cycling Weekly as a news and features writer in the summer of 2022, having previously contributed as a freelancer. He is the host of The TT Podcast, which covers both the men's and women's pelotons and has featured a number of prominent British riders.
An enthusiastic cyclist himself, Tom likes it most when the road goes uphill and actively seeks out double-figure gradients on his rides.
He's also fluent in French and Spanish and holds a master's degree in International Journalism.
-
Tweets of the week: Pogačar can be beaten, Pidcock meets the royals, and Remco's an Arsenal fan
Sadly for Tadej Pogačar, serial winning doesn't seem to apply to go karting
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Friday roundup: Rapha does sportswear, Oakley meets PNS and Restrap makes a vest
Two new clothing lines, some hi-tech smart glasses and a hydration vest to inspire you to ride further
By Luke Friend Published
-
Wout van Aert back on drop bars as he says he’s 'almost professional again' in Strava post
Visma-Lease a Bike rider broke his collarbone, sternum and several ribs in a high speed crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Jonas Vingegaard leaves hospital after Itzulia Basque Country horror crash
Danish rider underwent surgery to repair broken collarbone; too early to know whether Tour de France return will be possible
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Will the Tour de France be won by the last man standing?
With Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel and Primož Roglič hitting the deck at Itzulia Basque Country, all three now face battle to get their seasons back on track
By Adam Becket Published
-
Tom Pidcock unable to bear weight on right leg after Itzulia Basque Country crash
British rider crashed during recon of opening stage time trial last weekend and injured his right hip
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Mark Cavendish to miss Scheldeprijs as illness continues to affect schedule
Cavendish will ride Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye later this month, Astana Qazaqstan confirms
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Mathieu van der Poel not intimidated by Tadej Pogačar’s form ahead of Milan-San Remo clash
Dutchman starts his 2024 road season at Italian Monument on Saturday
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'I pulled it off and turned everything around' - Brandon McNulty on the ride that changed him
US star grabbed his first ever Grand Tour win at last year’s Giro d’Italia
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Matteo Jorgenson, Visma-Lease a Bike’s new star, continues to impress at Paris-Nice
The American could step into the leaders yellow jersey on Tuesday evening after stage three’s team time trial in Auxerre
By Tom Thewlis Published