"It's nerve-wracking" - Uno-X Mobility boss shares concerns on administration of Tour de France wildcards

January came and went, and in a blink of an eye it’s now past the midway point of February.

Yet, the Tour de France has still not announced its wildcard invitations.

Thor Hushovd, CEO of Uno-X Mobility, has admitted that tensions are running high. "It's nerve-wracking. We would have preferred to know which races we're going to ride now," he told TV2.

In previous years, invitations have been issued at varying times. In 2024, they were handed out on January 18, while in 2023, they were awarded on January 4. In 2022, the decision came slightly later, on February 11.

"It would have given the team more peace of mind to know whether we would be riding the Giro, the Tour or the Vuelta. It would have made the job much easier."

"At the same time, we are just a piece in a big game. There is not much we can do now. We can't exactly call ASO (Tour organiser) and put hard against hard and say that we must have information by such and such a date!" Hushovd continues.

The Tour has reduced the number of teams for safety reasons, aiming to create a smaller peloton and reduce the likelihood of crashes.

"I don't quite understand why they want to issue three invitations. It goes against what the UCI and the sport want with smaller fields and safer races. But there are more people fighting for the places now, and then conflicts of interest arise."

Kurt Asle Arvesen of INEOS also weighed in, saying, "I guess ASO is trying to get permission to send out invitations to three teams. They don't have an easy choice this year with Uno-X, TotalEnergies and Tudor. We really hope that it works out for Uno-X; it's really important for both the team and Norwegian cycling."