Former junior European champion heads home - Uno-X recruit Alexander Kristoff's younger brother
CyclingWednesday, 16 September 2026 at 09:00
Felix Orn-Kristoff leaves Lotto-Intermarché after one season to join Uno-X Mobility. The 20-year-old Norwegian will race for the team of Thor Hushovd for the next two seasons on a contract through 2028.
Orn-Kristoff made a great name for himself in the junior category, in particular thanks to his ability to shine in the most important races. In his first year, the Norewegian already podiumed the junior World Championships in Glasgow and finished 9th at European Championships, only to top both results one year later with a European title when he out-sprinted top talents Héctor Álvarez and Paul Seixas in Heusden-Zolder.
Already at that time, then Intermarché-Wanty secured the services of the young rider with a one year in development team and then a WorldTour promotion in 2026. Then the merger with Lotto changed everything, but Orn-Kristoff's promotion happened regardless.
A move which benefits everyone
But his first professional season did not have much to talk about, and all three parties were able to agree on a move to Uno-X Mobility without as much as a drama.
"Uno-X is a team I have wanted to be part of for quite a while, so when the opportunity came, I had to take it," says Ørn-Kristoff in a press release. "Everyone I have spoken to describes Uno-X as an incredibly good team for performance, development and team spirit. The fact that it is a Scandinavian team is, of course, a big plus, almost as big as having Faxe Kondi as a sponsor."
"Felix has a strong engine, a fast finish and the ability to stay in the race when it gets hard. That is a very interesting combination for the Classics and demanding one-day races," says team manager Thor Hushovd about the newest signing.
Hushovd further adds that Orn-Kristoff has been on his wishlist for more than two years now, and is very excited to work with the talented youngster:
"I was standing ten metres from the finish line when Felix became European champion, and I remember thinking straight away that he had something special. Of course, it was a little frustrating knowing that he had already signed with another team," says Hushovd.
"There is some of Alexander in Felix"
And then there's the added value; Felix is a younger half-brother of former Uno-X star Alexander Kristoff who's won 12 races for the team, and has been a key contributor to Uno-X's WorldTour promotion at the brink of his career.
Comparing both riders, Hushovd cannot unsee a certain similarity between both Kristoffs in the way they race, even though Felix could develop to be quite different rider in the end.
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What's already clear to the manager is that Felix does not back away from a hard race where riders have to dig deep, just as was the case for Alexander who became the champion of both Milano-Sanremo in 2014 and Tour of Flanders in 2015.
"There is some of that Kristoff toughness in Felix too, and hopefully we can help bring more of it out. But he is still only 20. We need to give him time, build him up step by step and help him develop into his own rider," Hushovd concludes.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- like father like sonmij16-09-2026
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- vos is going for gravelmij16-09-2026
- wow 50 is insane. good for him.mij16-09-2026
- I mean, probably not - but this WC is going to be about ten guys who all seem capable in the moment. A real unknown outcome, I cannot wait.wrsty16-09-2026
- Spain besmirched Israhell over Ceuta; Israhell has taken over Colombia government; Sevilla is Spanish; Colombian police are intimidated by Israhell, hence police CAN DO NOTHING.bike-anarkist16-09-2026
- Welcome to normal people’s lives. He’s lucky they had no clue who he is or else he’d have been stolen.Jumpyjohn16-09-2026
- Courageous man, hope it works out for him or else …Jumpyjohn16-09-2026
- I doubt it’s a hire, more likely commission based.Jumpyjohn16-09-2026
- Pretty pointless to analyse in such vague theoretical detail, past performances show anything can happen. Remco easily won Paris, MVDP has no problem winning FlandersJumpyjohn16-09-2026
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