The unlucky hero of this Giro d'Italia stays home: Andreas Leknessund extends at Uno-X through 2029
Cycling
Andreas Leknessund was undeniably one of the few names that stuck to the viewer's mind during the 2026 Giro d'Italia. Thanks to his aggressive racing style, the Norwegian champion found himself at the front of the race almost every other day. And as the former 8th place at Giro is no rookie, Leknessund often ended up in the mix for victory, ultimately wrapping up the race with three second places, but no triumph.
Still, the 27-year-old was Uno-X Mobility's leading figure despite Fredrik Dversnes' surprising stage victory. Therefore, it comes as anything but a surprise that following Dversnes' contract renewal, Leknessund will continue with the Norwegian-Danish formation as well. Leknessund extended his contract through 2029.
"Uno-X really feels like home for me. I spent two years with the development team here, turned pro, and eventually came back. I’m really happy with the opportunities I get in this team, and there is no one else I would rather race for than this Norwegian-Danish project," says Leknessund.
An easy choice
Leknessund is also a known entity to big teams ever since his stint at Team DSM, thus he naturally had a number of offers on his table. But none of them came even close to providing something only Uno-X Mobility has - the home feeling.
"It was honestly a pretty easy choice," Leknessund explains. "I had a strong wish to stay. Uno-X has a unique culture. We are a Scandinavian team, and that creates a very special atmosphere. Many people have been here for a long time, and I feel like I have grown up together with the project - even though I had three years away from it. It is exciting to continue and see how far we can take it together."
Andreas Leknessund at the 2026 Vuelta a Andalucia
More to give
In recent years, Leknessund's made a name for himself predominantly as escape artist, slowly drifting away from the idea of becoming a GC contender of his former managers at Team DSM. However victories are not coming at a quantity Leknessund would've liked. Thus, he points out that we could see his rider profile develop even further in next few years.
"No, I don’t think I have fully found myself as a rider yet. I am still trying to figure out what I want to be. Maybe I am a bit of a potato. I have weaknesses, but my biggest strength is probably that I am quite strong. When that strength comes into its own, I feel good," he says.
That strength has taken him far. But Leknessund also knows what he wants to develop further. "Maybe it is about more often turning a second place into a victory. I have quite a few of those. Maybe I need a bit more cynicism and to gamble a little more, to solve things in other ways than with pure power and strength."
"Since I started riding fast and winning things, I have usually either come to the finish alone or done well in time trials. My specialist skill has without doubt been to ride away from people. But the depth in every race is so big now that you cannot just ride everyone off the wheel anymore. I might need to find other ways to turn second places into wins and get more victories," he says.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- Martinez had a good year! 5th at the Tour was a great result for him, albeit largely through getting in successful breaks, but he held it better than Pidcock who’d done the same.Lozza14-11-2026
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