'He basically gave me the win': Leknessund takes first Grand Tour victory in Uno-X 1-2

Andreas Leknessund won stage 7 of the Vuelta a España at Aramón Valdelinares, taking the first Grand Tour stage victory of his career after four second places at the Giro d'Italia, with teammate Tobias Halland Johannessen completing an Uno-X Mobility one-two.

The plan was worked out on the road. Five riders had gone clear, and with two of them from the same team, Johannessen sent Leknessund up the road first to see how the others would react.

"I said to Andreas that he should try to go early and then we check if the other guys are willing to work together, but they weren't," Johannessen said. "That's what you always dream about when you try to beat two guys in the breakaway, that you can play it like this. Today it worked out perfectly."

Johannessen was arguably the stronger climber of the pair and had the option of riding for himself. He did not take it.

"Today it was all about the team wanting a win, and I know Andreas very well and he deserves it just as much as I did. This is how it is to be a team, and I'm super proud of how we rode. He was also super strong the whole day," he said.

Leknessund had spent the day in a move that also contained Wout van Aert, Eddie Dunbar and Alexey Lutsenko, and said the early pace was brutal before his teammate arrived.

"Going from the start with Wout, it was really hard. We were going so fast. But Tobias came up, and when he was there, he gave me confidence that today we could win," he said. "I believe he was the best climber in the group, and he maybe was. We had the ambition that one of us had a gap on the last climb. He let me go and basically gave me the win. I'm really proud and grateful."

The win comes after a long run of near misses in Italy. Leknessund was asked how it felt to convert one at last.

"It's really hard to say. I didn't expect it to be this emotional. But there's so much feeling around this. I've been fighting really hard," he said.

King Harald V died in Oslo on Friday morning at the age of 89, several hours before the stage began, and the Uno-X riders raced in black armbands.

"It's been a special day for the team and also for all of Norway," Leknessund said. "Obviously it's only a small thing in the bigger picture. But still, it makes the day more special."

Johannessen made the same point. "A perfect day, and also a special day with what's happening back home in Norway. We are super proud."

The stage also completes a set for Uno-X, who have now won at all three Grand Tours this season.

"I was there in the Giro when [teammate] won. It was really amazing. The Tour and now also the Vuelta, it really shows how good of a team we are," Leknessund said.