"There was a lot of attention... A lot requests" - Jonas Abrahamsen admits post-Tour de France renown drained his batteries

Jonas Abrahamsen put in a breakthrough performance at the 2024 Tour de France, wearing both the Green Jersey and the Polka-Dot Jersey after a relentlessly attacking opening week that saw him come 2nd on stage 2 in Bologna.

As it turned out though, the newfound fame and renown that came with his star performances in the most watched race on the cycling calendar, brought with it some additional fulfilments off the bike that ended up draining Abrahamsen's batteries much early that had been hoped as the 2024 season concluded.

"I did not know that there would be so much attention during - and after - the Tour de France. There was a lot of attention. It's not something you notice then and there, but I started to feel it a couple of months after the Tour de France," the 29-year-old Norwegian of Uno-X Mobility explains in conversation with TV2 having ended his season fully at the recent Tour de France Singapore Criterium in Asia.  

"I noticed that I was really tired, at least at the end of September. During the last week, the battery was completely dead. There were a lot of requests, and I'm a very yes person, and it can take more energy than one would have hoped," Abrahamsen continues. "I have always felt 'flying' all the time, but then the tank was actually empty."

That's not to say Abrahamsen hasn't enjoyed his time in Singapore though. "It was a great experience. I have never been to Singapore before. It is very different from Norway," he says of his time there recently. "Some friends of mine in Oslo know a couple who live in Singapore. And because of the traffic, it is very good to cycle with someone who knows the roads. So they made trails for me. And there were several local cyclists who joined the trip. They had brought clear jerseys that I could sign. I think they thought it was great, and they were really nice."

The potential of a return to the Tour de France in 2025 though, is still very much unclear as Uno-X Mobility are set to once again hope for a wildcard for race organisers, something that is very much not a guarantee. "As a team, we have an eventful year ahead of us. We are betting that we will get the opportunity to cycle the Tour de France again: That is the big goal," concludes the 29-year-old.