UAE’s unheralded workhorse secures future with one-year contract extension

In a transfer market squeezed by mergers, closures and relegations, simply holding a WorldTour seat has become an achievement. Julius Johansen has done just that, earning a new one-year contract with UAE Team Emirates - XRG after a season spent almost entirely in service of the team’s leaders.

Promoted from Continental level ahead of 2025, Johansen’s role was clearly defined. He was tasked with controlling races and absorbing workload so others could fight for victories. That responsibility translated into 93 race days across 13 countries, more than any other rider in the professional peloton.

The reward brought continuity rather than long-term security.

“Of course I would have liked it to be longer than one year,” Johansen said in conversation with Feltet at UAE Team Emirates’ media day. “But in cycling it has been such a tough year for contracts that I didn’t really have much to negotiate with. I was just happy to be riding for UAE.”

A one-year deal inevitably carries risk, especially in a sport where crashes can reshape careers overnight.

“Of course you always carry some kind of fear,” Johansen admitted. “What if I crash badly and break something that puts me out for half a year? Then it can look difficult when you only have a one year contract.”

For now, his focus is simple. “I’m just incredibly happy to be where I am. I’m in a place where I can perform myself. I know that all it takes is that I ride fast. Then I’ll get a contract again.”

Johansen’s workload limited his own opportunities, with a second place at the Vuelta Asturias standing out among otherwise scarce personal results.

“There’s no doubt they’ve been super happy with what I do,” he said. “But of course they also want riders who win races. I just need to be as strong as possible.”

UAE’s expectations remain unchanged heading into 2026. “The most important thing for me is to be at 95 percent throughout the whole season rather than 100 percent at a specific moment,” Johansen explained. “Because my role is to be ready if something happens.”

For one of the peloton’s quietest workhorses, reliability remains his strongest currency.