"I'm super surprised" - UAE Team Emirates - XRG rider Julius Johansen can't believe Boucles de la Mayenne Prologue victory
CyclingFriday, 29 May 2026 at 10:31
Julius Johansen has certainly found his feet after signing with UAE Team Emirates - XRG in 2025. The 26-year-old has become a revelation and trusted domestique for Tadej Pogacar's squad and has now re-added an old weapon to his arsenal this season - the time trial.
The Danish rider has won the national title at Junior and U23 levels - as well as a 4th place at the 2016 World Championships - in the discipline, but failed to turn that into elite success in his time at Pro Tour and World Tour level. That is until this season.
Johansen took the first two professional wins of his career in an impressive start to the season, both of which coming in the time trial. After winning stage 1 of O Gran Camiño in April, he has now won the Boucles de la Mayenne Prologue.
Beating pre-stage favourite and recent Tour de Hongrie winner Jakob Söderqvist, he competed the 5.4 kilometer course to finish just a second ahead of the Swede and six seconds faster than Oscar Chamberlain in third.
Johansen "super surprised"
"It's incredible to win another race," the Dane said in a team press release, in disbelief at his further success in 2026.
"It seems like I've finally found my form in time trials after all these years! It's really great to get another victory, and again in a time trial. It's unbelievable. I knew we had a very good team here, with a lot of riders capable of winning a time trial like this, but I really didn't think there would be any more."
He added: "I'm super surprised and, of course, super happy. Now we're looking ahead to the next few days: we have a good team and we're ready. I hope we can win more!"
The result puts UAE Team Emirates - XRG in the driving seat in the French race, with Benoît Cosnefroy in fourth overall just six seconds shy of Johansen and Ivo Oliveira in sixth at seven seconds.
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- The media, cycling analysts, the French, Belgian, Dutch and Danish sore losers are reacting poorly to defeat. Rather than accepting a loss graciously, they often become angry, complain, blame others, or make excuses: "We have to stop Pogi one way or another, inevitable, regardless of the specific method, effort, or path taken to achieve it. Whatever means necessary: 1) making anti Pogi routes... 2) the whole peleton working against Pogi... 3) sabotaging Pogi's bike, food and his safety... deliberately damage, destroy, or obstruct Pogi to prevent him from being the G.O.A.T." PS: Jonathan Vaughters can be the leader for the Anti Pogi Campaign for achieving the goal. Shame on you all. If Pogi was French, Belgian, Dutch or Danish, nobody would be talking about this. Pogi is a proud Slovenian, and when he will retire from cycling, you'll all get the middle finger. Capish?marco-thomson29-05-2026
- UAE's budget is slightly higher than Red Bull, Visma or Ineos. I don't think Pogacar's team is going to be like Cofidis all of a sudden. They would still have enough firepower to be dominant as long as Pogacar is healthy.
PogiFan2Day29-05-2026 - JV blocked me years agoslappers6629-05-2026
- Something needs to be done / races being so predictable is the death of the sport - who will pay to watch this on TV which is the whole financial model - revenue for organizers and exposure for sponsorsCrashjames29-05-2026
- What don't you ask him?
leedorney29-05-2026 - That's a good idea, this is how it used to be, like in Greg Lemonds era, he was the biggest paid rider & his domestiques where not on his wage - tho how many Arab countries sponsor cycling teams now ? if they didn't, what'd be left..leedorney29-05-2026
- Someone offers JV $40-50mill a season to play with his tune would be different. Funny how its the less wealthy teams who shoutslappers6629-05-2026
- Sorry, but you misunderstand. Pogačar has to follow them all. They don't work together, but if one is stronger on Col du Haag, one on Plateau du Solaison, one on Alpe d'Huez, then that's like a rider who is stronger than him. Like in 2023, the cumulative physical stress of following a stronger climber could then cause him to crack on Col de Sarenne.
Rafionain-Glas29-05-2026 - when he repeats this - in case it happens - during his big goal the tour, many of his critics will be silenced.Ketterechts29-05-2026
- Will certainly be an interesting Tour. The top guys all having different preparations . Pog, a relatively normal prep. Vino, Giro (was seen as impossible until pog proved it can be done). Remco, abnormal prep..no racing prior and Sexias.. I haven't followed but probably a normal prep. If Pog wins, Vino will cite fatigue from Giro and Remco will say he needed more racing before the Tour. And please gods above, no accidents or injuries to these guys. May the strongest win.Santiago29-05-2026
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