Tobias Johannessen on classics debut: "I'm still discovering and learning what kind of rider I want to be"
Cycling
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team have a bunch of gems within their squad however perhaps the brightest of all is Tobias Johannessen. The young Norwegian talent is one of the best stage-racers in the upcoming generation and the team is giving him freedom to explore other option in his development, as he has been riding the cobbled classics recently.
"It was tough, but fun. I am also pleased that I was able to participate in the final right away. I really enjoy racing on the cobblestones, but admittedly, it was not not completely new to me. I already have some mountain bike and cyclocross experience, and it's not that different, it's a cool way of racing that appeals to me for the future," he told Wielerflits.
He completed: "If you want to become a "real" racer, you have to dare to take these kinds of races, I think that's important. I'm still discovering and learning what kind of rider I want to be, so I want to try everything a little bit. It's not because I won l'Avenir that I will definitely become a stage-racer."
Johannessen is one of the most talented riders of the upcoming generation. At 22, he's the current Tour de l'Avenir champion and last season he has won two stages at the Sazka Tour and finished second in the U23 Giro d'Italia. Having at least two more seasons with the Uno-X team, there is clearly a sense of collective ambition within the team made up of 29 Norwegian and Danish riders which have been one of the big sensations of the last seasons.
At Le Samyn they took Rasmus Tiller to ninth place as he won the bunch sprint behind the leading group, however it was with the support of an unexpected piece as Johannessen himself went to Belgium to test his legs, just as he did at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
He is set to race Tour des Flandres later in the spring, a race where the climbing will be crucial and he may find himself more at ease, as Uno-X have gotten a flurry of wildcards in this classics season. However his upcoming goal will be at the Volta a Catalunya, where he will be going head-to-head with some of the riders he's set to face in the coming years for the first time.
“That will be a new experience, probably at an even higher level. For me also the first test to discover my climber's legs with the pros, because in Bessèges [where he won the queen stage] the climbing kilometers were even rather limited. I'm looking forward to it, but don't know what to expect," he concluded.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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