Magnus Cort has recovered from knee injury and ready to tackle Besseges: "I'm just getting started, so I don't expect a top result on the first stage"

Magnus Cort Nielsen is one of the most enigmatic riders within the Uno-X Mobility ranks. And one of the Scandinavian team's leaders too. But the winter preparation was hampered by knee problem which temporarily derailed his run-up to the 2025 season.

The Danish rider did not have an ideal off-season, as a knee injury plagued him in December. But two months later, Cort now brings good news for Feltet.dk: "I feel surprisingly good. The training camp (in Mallorca in January) went well, and I've recovered from my knee injury. It got better around New Year's."

Read also

Slovenian ex-pro raves about Tadej Pogacar but warns "His downfall will come at some point. All cyclists start to lose form sooner or later"

And so, he can finally get stuck into the action at the Etoile de Besseges (2.1), a French five-day stage race starting on Wednesday. Should we expect Cort to immediately shine? Most likely not, he assures. "I'm just getting started, so I don't expect a top result on the first stage. But I want to try to stick to it."

But that doesn't mean he'll be just slacking off at the back of the peloton for most of the time. Rather than that, if the legs are not good enough, Cort will leave everything at the front in support of his leaders. So the approach doesn't really change from other years: "Not that much different than what I would do if everything had gone as planned. I’m ready to go for it," he makes the ambitions clear.

Normally, the Etoile de Besseges would've been almost tailor-made for the 32-year-old Cort. A mix of hilly stages with steep finishes certainly suit the versatile Dane who has nine Grand Tour stages to his name, won through solo rides, breakaways and even (uphill) sprints. And the final 10-kilometer timetrial with another climb towards the end? Another aspect that would play into Cort's hands. And even though he plays down his own ambitions, it's still highly likely we'll see Uno-X jersey in the mix with Rasmus Tiller and Soren Waerenskjold also at the start.

Read also

Profiles & Route Etoile de Besseges 2025

See the final startlist for Etoile de Bessèges 2025 including Mads Pedersen, Filippo Ganna, Sam Bennett, Arnaud De Lie and Maxim van Gils

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Unlock your ultimate cycling experience—subscribe today for access to the latest cycling news

Subscribe