“Last year at this time I was in pieces”: Jonas Abrahamsen relishes a smooth and injury-free build-up as he chases a second Tour de France stage victory
CyclingFriday, 03 July 2026 at 01:00
Jonas Abrahamsen heads into the 2026 Tour de France with ambitions of repeating last year's stage victory after a much smoother build-up than the one in 2025. After recovering from a broken collarbone just in time for last year's Tour, the Norwegian believes he is in an even better position to target success this July.
A far calmer build-up than last year
Abrahamsen's preparations have contrasted sharply with those of 2025, when a crash at the Baloise Belgium Tour left him with a broken collarbone only weeks before the Tour. Despite the injury, he recovered in time to start in Lille and eventually claimed his first Tour stage victory.
This year, he has been able to follow his planned programme uninterrupted. “Last year at this time I was in pieces with a broken collarbone, so I’m very happy with where I am now. My fracture healed in a favourable way last year, so I was very lucky. I realise that very well,” Abrahamsen said.
Known as one of the peloton's hardest trainers, Abrahamsen once again relied on altitude camps, endurance rides, threshold sessions, heat training and intensive intervals to prepare for cycling's biggest race.
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“I’ve been at altitude and prepared well. After an altitude camp it’s always nice to race again, like at Franco-Belge and the Brussels Cycling Classic. That went quite well, so hopefully I can take another step forward.”
The Norwegian also revealed that he enjoys changing his training and not just do the same over and over. “I like variety. Sometimes I enjoy a calm, long endurance ride, and sometimes I like to go deep. But when I really have to ride long and hard... those really tough efforts where you come home completely exhausted, they give the best feeling afterwards.”
Among the more unusual moments of his preparation was a 400-metre running effort completed in 1 minute and 2 seconds during an altitude camp in Sierra Nevada, Spain.
“That was actually a bit of a joke. A friend of mine was doing a challenge. I tried to join in, but it was really exhausting. I hadn’t run for six months, so it was super hard. On top of that, you burn so many calories from cycling that I had eaten a huge amount during my training beforehand. My legs were shaking,” he said with a laugh.
Jonas Abrahamsen during the 2026 E3 Saxo Classic
Chasing another Tour stage
Abrahamsen's main objective remains another Tour stage victory while helping teammate Tobias Halland Johannessen in the fight for a strong result in the general classification.
“Yes, my personal goal is to win a stage and help Tobias achieve a top-five finish in the general classification. Hopefully my form is just as good as last year, or even better, and this time we don’t have any bad luck with crashes.”
He believes the middle part of the Tour offers the best opportunities for riders with his characteristics. “Yes, especially in the middle part there are a few stages that suit riders like me. But the Tour de France is always very difficult; there are so many riders who want to be in the early breakaway. Everyone is in top shape in this race.”
Abrahamsen acknowledged that his aggressive reputation now makes it more difficult to join successful breakaways. “Yes, I do feel that. So I’ll probably have to approach it differently and try to attack when it’s really hard, because then only the strongest riders remain.”
He also believes the days of easily slipping into a breakaway have disappeared. “Nowadays it’s no longer easy to just ride away on the flat and hope they let you go. You really have to use your strength to make the difference, and even then it still takes a huge effort.”
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
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PogiFan2Day02-07-2026 - the king of mue'swhkman02-07-2026
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