“I’ve done enough to justify a place" - Alexander Kristoff 'disappointed' after being left out of Uno-X's Tour de France squad in final season
Cycling
There will be no Tour de France farewell in the final season of four time former stage winner Alexander Kristoff. This was confirmed on Monday afternoon as the 37-year-old Norwegian was notably missing from Uno-X Mobility's squad for the French Grand Tour.
As mentioned, Kristoff has plenty of pedigree in the Tour de France, winning four stages across the 2014, 2018 and 2020 editions of the race. Kristoff has also been a leading figure within each of the Uno-X Mobility team's appearances at the most watched bike race on the planet. In 2025 however, that will be different.
“I saw it coming, to be honest. It’s not a very sprint-friendly Tour this year, and many of the stages are likely to be too hilly for both me and Soren Waerenskjold. So, it makes sense to include riders who can perform well in that terrain,” Kristoff reacted to the news in conversation with TV2. “I do feel I’ve done enough to justify a place, but it’s a strong team with many talented riders, so I understand it was a tough decision.”
The omission hits harder in 2025 as well, with this being the final season of Kristoff's professional career. Despite the disappointment however, the Norwegian is keen to insist that he understands and he won't let it sour his last few months in the peloton. “It’s no secret that I’m a bit disappointed," he admits. "At the same time, Stian Fredheim has performed well this year and taken big steps forward, so it’s clearly also a selection with the future in mind.”
“We had a good talk. There’s no bad blood between us," he says of his relationship with Uno-X Mobility team boss Thor Hushovd. "I understand where they’re coming from – and Tobias Johannessen is in incredible form and needs support... But of course, it’s disappointing not to ride what would have been my final Tour.”
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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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