“Better than we had dreamed" - Tobias Johannessen delighted after final Tour de France mountain stage

Tobias Johannessen has climbed to sixth overall after 19 stages of the 2025 Tour de France, delivering a breakthrough performance for the Uno-X Mobility team. The Norwegian benefited from Primoz Roglic’s all-in attacks that ultimately saw the Slovenian fall from fifth to eighth, helping Johannessen jump up in the standings. Now just two stages away from Paris, Johannessen is poised to secure one of the biggest GC results ever for a Norwegian rider.

"It was a very good day, and I think we showed that we are a good team today. With Andréas (Leknessund) who was there, we had a very good day," Johannessen told Cyclism’Actu.

While Johannessen is 20 minutes down on overall leader Tadej Pogacar, his climb up the rankings is remarkable given the circumstances earlier this week. During the brutal ascent of Mont Ventoux, he visibly struggled, finishing the stage in distress, clutching his torso. His collapse at the summit sparked real concern, as he lost consciousness and needed oxygen before being transported to the race's medical area. Uno-X sporting director Thor Hushovd later confirmed that the young climber had been suffering from stomach cramps.

Despite that frightening moment, Johannessen has bounced back impressively and now sits ahead of several established GC riders. With Jonas Abrahamsen already claiming a historic win on Stage 11, the team could be heading to Paris with both a stage win and a top-10 overall placing.

“We can be happy. I think the top 10 is better than we had dreamed. But now, I think we can do even better," Johannessen said. "It's going to be a difficult day tomorrow, and in Paris too. We're going to refuel to be ready for tomorrow. These last two days are going to be difficult, I think. Especially tomorrow, there's the potential for fireworks during the stage. We hope to have Abrahamsen or someone else in the breakaway."