“I didn’t expect it to be this emotional” – Andreas Leknessund fights back tears after Uno-X Vuelta one-two honours King Harald V on day of Norwegian mourning
CyclingFriday, 28 August 2026 at 18:05
Andreas Leknessund struggled to contain his emotions after delivering a poignant victory for Uno-X Mobility on the day Norway began mourning the death of King Harald V.
The Norwegian monarch died in Oslo on Friday morning at the age of 89, several hours before Stage 7 of the 2026 Vuelta a Espana began. Uno-X raced in black armbands before placing Leknessund and Tobias Johannessen in the decisive breakaway.
Leknessund attacked alone on the final climb to Aramon Valdelinares, while Johannessen disrupted the pursuit behind. Johannessen then accelerated away from Wout van Aert inside the final two kilometres to complete an Uno-X one-two on the team’s first appearance at the Spanish Grand Tour.
The significance of the result caught Leknessund by surprise once he crossed the line. The 27-year-old came close to choking up as he attempted to describe his first Grand Tour stage victory.
“It’s really hard to say,” Leknessund admitted. “I didn’t expect it to be this emotional, but for sure there are so many feelings around this. I’ve been fighting really hard, and it means a lot.”
“He basically gave me the win”
Van Aert initiated the decisive move immediately after the flag dropped in Vall d’Alba, with Leknessund among the first riders to follow. Johannessen later bridged across alongside Eddie Dunbar and Alexey Lutsenko, giving Uno-X two riders in the five-man leading group.
Their numerical advantage became decisive on Aramon Valdelinares. Leknessund attacked as the gradient increased, while Johannessen remained behind with Van Aert and Lutsenko rather than contributing to the chase.
Leknessund believed his teammate may have been the strongest climber in the group but recognised that Johannessen had deliberately sacrificed his own opportunity to protect the attack.
“It was such a special day, going from the start with Wout,” the stage winner explained. “We were going really hard, so fast. Tobias came up and it gave me confidence when he was there that we could win. I believe he was the best climber in the group, but we had the ambition that one of us had a gap on the final climb. He let my wheel go and basically gave me the win – I’m really proud and grateful.”
Johannessen continued marking Van Aert as Leknessund’s advantage grew towards 40 seconds. Once it became clear the leader would not be caught, Johannessen attacked the Belgian with approximately 1.1 kilometres remaining and secured second place for himself.
The result ended a long sequence of Grand Tour near-misses for Leknessund, who had previously accumulated four second places at the Giro d’Italia, including three during the 2026 edition. “It’s been incredible,” he said. “I was there in the Giro, and it was really amazing, then the Tour, and now the Vuelta. It really shows how good of a team we are, and I’m super proud to be a part of it.”
A victory for a country in mourning
The Uno-X riders had learned of King Harald’s death before the stage. Johannessen described a different atmosphere inside the team bus and acknowledged that winning would carry added significance as the Norwegian squad began its first Vuelta.
Asked after the finish whether the one-two represented the perfect tribute, Leknessund placed their sporting success within the considerably greater sense of loss being felt at home. “Definitely,” he replied. “It’s been a special day for the team and for the whole of Norway. Obviously it’s a small thing in the bigger picture, but still it makes the day more special.”
Leknessund’s victory gave Uno-X its first Vuelta stage win at the first attempt, with Johannessen ensuring both of the opening positions belonged to the Norwegian team. Their black armbands remained visible on the podium after a result which carried meaning far beyond the race.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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