“It is absolutely not the intention that he is going to race” – Uno-X shut down Johannes Klaebo cycling rumours
Cycling
Just days after Thor Hushovd openly invited Olympic skiing superstar Johannes Klaebo to test with Uno-X Mobility, the tone from inside the team has shifted.
“It is absolutely not the intention that he is going to race,” Uno-X sports director Gino Van Oudenhove told Sporza, moving quickly to cool speculation of a switch to professional cycling.
Van Oudenhove was responding to renewed rumours after Klaebo’s record-breaking Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina, where the Norwegian won six gold medals in a single Games. The historic sweep inevitably reignited discussion about what might come next for one of endurance sport’s most dominant athletes.
But from the team’s perspective, there is no transfer story. “Social media is social media,” Van Oudenhove said. “If something like that comes along, we’ll play along. But it is absolutely not the intention that he is going to race.”
Door opened, door closed
The comments provide a clear counterweight to Hushovd’s earlier remarks, in which the former world champion revealed he had encouraged Klaebo to test with the team once the Olympics were complete.
Hushovd had said he had ridden with Klaebo and described him as a “natural cycling talent”, adding that “he sits beautifully on the bike” and possesses an engine capable of succeeding “in almost any endurance sport.”
Those words were always framed as an invitation rather than a contract. Van Oudenhove’s intervention underlines that distinction.
Klaebo’s connection to Uno-X is longstanding. He has been sponsored by the Uno-X parent company for years, has trained alongside riders on multiple occasions and was present around the team during the Tour de France. But none of that, according to Van Oudenhove, points towards an imminent move into the WorldTour peloton.
The 2030 focus
Beyond one light-hearted Instagram comment last summer, Klaebo himself has given little indication that a cycling career is on the horizon. During the Milano-Cortina Games, he made clear that the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps are his next major objective.
For now, that keeps him firmly on skis rather than on tarmac.
Van Oudenhove also pointed to a broader explanation for why such rumours gain traction in Norway. The country’s depth in endurance sports frequently produces crossover speculation.
“The striker of Bodo Glimt, Kasper Hogh, beat Klaebo in cross-country skiing when they were 15,” he told Sporza. “In Norway, we are a step ahead in endurance sports. You see it in smaller sports, and now also in bigger sports. It is an ideal country to grow up in.”
Thor Hushovd had previously opened the door for Klaebo to joing Uno-X
Speculation versus reality
For cycling fans, the Klaebo storyline taps into a familiar fascination. The sport has seen successful transitions before, from Primoz Roglic to Norwegian prospect Jorgen Nordhagen, while Olympic triathlon champion Kristian Blummenfelt previously spoke of ambitions to win the Tour de France before remaining in his own discipline.
History shows the leap is possible. It also shows how rare and demanding it is.
Hushovd’s invitation made the idea feel tangible. Van Oudenhove’s comments restore perspective.
For now, there is no hidden contract, no testing block announced, and no secret pathway into the peloton. Just an elite skier at the height of his powers, a team proud of its national links, and a reminder that in modern sport, a social media hint can travel much further than the reality behind it.
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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