In the middle of the Kristoff family’s morning breakfast at the cabin in Sirdal, the Uno-X Pro Cycling Team released the news that Alexander Kristoff (35) would ride for them for three years starting in 2023. – It was now or never if I was going to join a Norwegian team. I’m looking forward to it and think it will be really cool. I hope I can perform well and deliver results, says Kristoff to news. At the same time, news broke that from the 2023 season they will also apply for a WorldTour license for the men’s team. If they get it, they are guaranteed a place in the world’s biggest cycling races, such as the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia and the Tour of Spain. It is also the dream of Kristoff, when he now signs for a Norwegian team. – The goal and the dream is to take part in the Tour de France with a Norwegian team. We’ll see if we can do it next year, but we’ll be racing in the classics, and those races are important to me, he says. Former editor of procycling.no and author of the book “Edvald og Alexander”, Jarle Fredagsvik, believes that Alexander Kristoff’s change of club is better for Uno-X than for Kristoff himself. Photo: procycling.no A great signing Cycling expert and author of the book “Edvald and Alexander”, Jarle Fredagsvik, believes this is a great signing by Uno-X. – It doesn’t get much bigger than this for a Norwegian team. It’s cool that they show such great financial muscle, and such a strong intention to lift the concept into the World Tour that they manage to get Norway’s best cyclist of all time, he says. – Is Kristoff the best Norwegian cyclist of all time? – For me, he is undoubtedly the greatest. He is bigger than Hushovd. Kristoff has won many more cycling races than Hushovd. He has EC gold, WC silver and Olympic bronze. He has a more complete track record and results, he says. Fredagsvik is, however, surprised that Kristoff has chosen to ride for the Norwegian team. This year the Stavanger cyclist has cycled for the Belgian team Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux. Fredagsvik believes Kristoff’s chances would have been better if he continued here. – He had gotten better sportingly in the team he was in. But now the decision has been made. He has been given a three-year contract, which is quite generous for a 35-year-old, he says. Tobias Halland Johannessen is one of the talents on the Uno-X Cycling Team. He won the youth jersey in this year’s Critérium du Dauphiné. Photo: MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP Hoping for a Tour de France place The expert believes that the signing of Kristoff increases the chances that we will now have a Norwegian team in the Tour de France, but that it will be difficult to get it right next year. Namely, 18 WorldTour licenses are awarded, which are primarily awarded according to the number of points scored. As of now, Uno-X does not have enough points, and they are therefore dependent on other teams dropping out. – The chances have never been better, but there is no automaticity in that if you sign Kristoff, you will get a WorldTour licence. It puts them in a better situation, but they are not guaranteed either the WorldTour or the Tour de France next year. I hope it happens within three years, says Fredagsvik. Among other things, Alexander Kristoff can boast several stage victories in the Tour de France, EC gold, WC silver and Olympic bronze. Photo: Stephane Mahe / AFP Grandfather on the team Uno-X today consists of Norwegians and Danes who are mainly in their early 20s. According to himself, the fact that Kristoff, aged 35, is now coming in means that he will almost become a grandfather in the team. But he wants to use that to help the young riders on the team. – I have been involved in this for a long time, and know what is involved. I have been involved in the biggest races before, and know what lies ahead. I might be able to teach them some little tricks that could be valuable towards sprints and sprints. – At the same time, I hope to create results on my own as well, says Kristoff to news.
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