OFFICIAL: Uno-X steal a talented junior climber from Visma's development programme

The cycling market is moving forward following the conclusion of the Vuelta a España 2025. Uno-X Mobility, which did not have a wildcard to compete in the Spanish Grand Tour, has focused on improving its long-term plans. The World Tour license is a big goal, with which it could race both La Vuelta and the rest of the main races on the calendar. Homework in the cycling market is a must.

Since the Norwegian formation closed its development team at the end of last season, any young talent must be scouted directly from junior category, or from another team. With their newest recruit, they went for a mix of both strategies.

Uno-X Mobility has announced through a press release the signing of 16-year-old Norwegian talent Kristian Haugetun. The rider made a name for himself in his first under-23 season, racing for Visma | Lease a Bike's partner programme JEGG-SKIL-DJR U19, but has reached an agreement to join the team's subsidiary in his home country.

Haugetun, born in October 2008, has already shined in international junior races, most recently with a stage win at a prestigious Italian stage race Giro della Lunigiana, where he clashed swords with some of the most coveted talents such as European MTB champion in the category - Anatol Friedl or Seff Van Kerckhove - the younger brother of Visma's rising talent Matisse.

As a promising climber, Haugetun perfectly fits into future plans of Uno-X Mobility who have this way secured a potential successor for the 26-year-old Tobias Halland Johannessen who impressed with a sixth place at the Tour de France this year.

"Kristian is exactly the kind of talent we want to push. He is ambitious, self-confident and already shows qualities that can take him far in the sport. The idea is not to rush him into the pros, but to allow him to grow with the right support and opportunities, one step at a time. This agreement reflects our strong belief in the development of cycling from junior level to the highest level of the sport," said Thor Hushovd, CEO of Uno-X Mobility, in the statement.

For Kristian Haugetun, the ambition is clear: "The big dream is to win the Tour de France. As simple as it is difficult. But you have to dare to dream."

That ambition is also what brought him to Uno-X Mobility. At just 16 years old, he had already attracted the attention of some of the world's top cycling teams, but now he has decided to commit his future to the Scandinavian project:

"I'm here because Uno-X Mobility has proven that it can develop Norwegian cyclists. It's a combination of security and great ambition, which makes me believe I can reach my full potential," he added.

"I feel that here you run a little bit for your country and share something with the Scandinavian values of the team. That means a lot to me, and I think it motivates us to work together and to make that little extra effort for each other and for the success of the team," Kristian Haugetun continued to appreciate.

Haugetun's talent was on display again last week at the Giro della Lunigiana, where he took his first UCI victory of the season:

"It was my first UCI win this year and, of course, it was amazing to participate in such a prestigious race. And I did it on the new Ridley bike, which shows how fast it is. That gives me a lot of confidence for the future."

The young Uno-X Mobility cyclist had previously also excelled in triathlon in which he made the national team selections in the youth category. However, he was always clear about his priority: "Cycling has more action, and it's really what I enjoy the most. Racing as a team and constantly having to combine the mental, tactical and physical makes it incredibly exciting," he concluded.