Thor Hushovd dreams of Scandinavian Uno-X superteam with Vingegaard and Pedersen

For Thor Hushovd, the end of the 2025 season marks both relief and the beginning of something new. “I hope my wife doesn’t read this,” he joked. “There will be a lot of travelling. Meetings, partners, planning, there’s a lot happening right now.”

Speaking to Dagbladet, Hushovd described how Uno-X’s promotion to the WorldTour became reality just days earlier, following Sakarias Koller Løland’s victory at the Veneto Classic. That win sealed automatic entry into cycling’s biggest races from next year, ending years of chasing wildcard invitations. “It was an intense and emotional Sunday,” Hushovd recalled. “We’ve worked towards this for so long.”

With the team’s promotion secured, the Norwegian former rider is now thinking about how to strengthen the squad for 2026. When asked if a star signing might be on the cards, he kept the door slightly open. “Not now, but maybe before 2027,” he said.

In Paris last week, during the Tour de France route presentation, Hushovd spoke openly about his admiration for Denmark’s biggest names. “There’s no doubt those are dream riders to have, but we don’t have the budget for that today,” he said when asked about double Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard and one-day specialist Mads Pedersen.

Uno-X is one of the smallest operations in the WorldTour, and the financial gap is clear. Vingegaard reportedly earns between 4.2 and 5.1 million euros per year at Visma | Lease a Bike, while Pedersen’s salary at Lidl Trek is said to exceed 2.5 million euros. 

“The perfect scenario would be to develop a rider ourselves who can win a big race,” Hushovd explained. “You can always buy your way into a better chance, but that comes at a price. We’ll start next season with what we have and see what’s possible.”

When asked if Vingegaard’s salary alone would outweigh the entire Uno-X payroll, he shook his head. “No, not quite. We have over fifty riders, so he doesn’t make that much. But if something like that were ever to happen, the timing would have to be right. I can say that Mads Pedersen is my dream rider. I love the way he races, a bit like I used to, maybe that’s why I’m biased,” he said with a grin.

Pressed on whether a Pedersen move before 2027 could happen, Hushovd simply replied, “Those are your words.” Then he paused. “The dream would be to bring together the best Norwegian and Danish riders and fight for the biggest races.”

Uno-X’s current roster features twenty Norwegians and nine Danes, a Scandinavian core that reflects Hushovd’s vision for the project. As the team steps onto the WorldTour stage, his blend of realism and ambition suggests this is only the beginning of the story.