"It will mean an insane amount to us as a team" - Nerves rising for Uno-X as wait for Tour de France wildcards continue

After being one of the wildcards for the last two editions of the Tour de France, Uno-X Mobility are still yet to receive any inclination as to whether or not they will be invited again in 2025. As such, the nerves are rising within the Norwegian team.

"It will mean an insane amount to us as a team to come along. The Tour de France is our biggest goal for this year, and there is nothing else that comes close to matching it. So it is important to get that ticket," says Uno-X Mobility sports director Christian Andersen in conversation with TV2.dk.

This year, the fight for the wildcards seems more intense than ever. Traditional French team TotalEnergies are always in with a shout. The Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team were also in the mix after signing Tom Pidcock although have since seemingly distances themselves from the fight. According to Andersen though, the most serious competitors for Uno-X Mobility's spot at the Tour de France are potentially the Tudor Pro Cycling Team.

"Tudor has bought in well. Alaphilippe is a double world champion and French, so it's a bit of a mouthful. At least we'll have a fight to the finish there," Andersen analyses of their ambitious Swiss rivals. "But we are not masters of anyone but ourselves. We have done and are doing what we can, and then we must hope that it is enough."

There is even talk that an extra team could be invited this year, raising the eyebrow of the Uno-X Mobility DS. "If 23 teams come, I have no doubt that we will come. If 22 teams come, I have a little more doubt. But we of course believe in our possibilities," he says, insisting the Tour de France isn't the team's only goal. "We really want to race two grand tours, but our challenge is that there are many Italian teams vying for invitations to the Giro d'Italia, and both Tudor and Q36.5 are very Italian. And for the Spanish teams, riding the Vuelta a Espana is almost about survival. I think it will be really difficult."

So ultimately, Uno-X must prepare for the possibility of a worst case scenario and having no Grand Tours to ride in 2025. "Basically, it will be bad for us, and we will be really sad about it. It will be, roughly speaking, shit. But it's not like our world is going to completely end," Andersen concludes.