"When you see someone like Kristoff work hard every day, it can only be inspiring" - Uno-X DS on importance of Alexander Kristoff for the team

Uno-X Mobility had a faint start of 2024, winning only once (Søren Wærenskjold at AlUla Tour stage 2) before the start of May. It was up to the team's most experienced rider Alexander Kristoff to seemingly unplug his teammates at Elfstedenronde. In just five weeks, the team went from 1 to 9 victories and Uno-X is finally back on its warpath for WorldTour wildcards.

Sports director Jesper Mørkøv explains what may have caused the drought to WielerFlits. "You can't say this was the plan, but I would argue that we expected this. We only have Norwegian and Danish riders in the team. They often train in their home country during the off-season and the winters there are simply harsher. We knew from previous years that we always perform stronger in May and June than in those first months. This is always our best period."

Four victories can be attributed to the experienced Alexander Kristoff. "It has been more than a year since he joined the team and he has instilled a fighting spirit in everyone. Really, Alex fights for everything. When you take him to the Elfstedenronde, he wants to win as much as when he is at the start of the Tour of Flanders. He then conveys that to the young riders, they know that they have to go all out every time. That gives everyone confidence and also helps in terms of team spirit. That is Alex's merit."

In what way is he a leader? "He doesn't do it with words, but by being the person he is. Alex is not the man who stands up on the bus and gives a speech. But he is someone who gives everything he can, which automatically makes the others do the same. He shows in his own way how everyone should do it. When he starts winning, you see those young riders thinking: maybe I can win a race too. Then one person does it and even more guys become inspired."

"Last year, Kristoff raced a lot together with Søren Wærenskjold. Just because Alex said certain things to him doesn't mean Søren has broken through. Well because he was constantly with him and conveyed the right mindset. The same this season with Tord Gudmestad. Tord lives in Stavanger, the same city as Alex. When you see someone like Kristoff around you and see how he works and fights in training every day, it can only be inspiring."