Wærenskjold sacrifices dream holiday with Uno-X on cusp of WorldTour promotion

Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) has sacrificed his planned Miami vacation with his fiancée to compete in the Chrono des Nations time trial as the Norwegian team fights to secure a remarkable WorldTour promotion for 2026.

The ProTeam currently sits 401 points ahead of Cofidis in the battle for what could become the final WorldTour spot, with the impending Intermarché-Wanty and Lotto merger potentially meaning that the Norwegian team’s current 19th-place position could be enough to move from the ProTeam ranks to the WorldTour.

With Cofidis entering more races in the final week of the season, Uno-X acted decisively to enter Wærenskjold and Carl-Frederik Bévort in Sunday's Chrono des Nations, a time trial even in France.

"I received a message a few days ago: 'Now it's starting to become a crisis in terms of points.' "That's when I realised it was time to go to Chrono,” Wærenskjold told TV2 about the moment his holiday plans crumbled.

The 25-year-old Norwegian had planned a well-deserved post-season break with his fiancée Iben Kvisle, including visits to Miami, Key West and Disney World in Orlando, before team manager Thor Hushovd's urgent call came through.

"I'll take one for the team," Wærenskjold joked, illustrating his team spirit. The 25-year-old has been one of the most important members of the team in their remarkable rise, having been with the team since 2021.

Uno-X's late-season scramble for UCI points comes as they find themselves in the unique position of fighting for promotion rather than relegation, a difficult situation that the current WorldTour teams around them face.

The Norwegian team have been operating at the level of many well-established WorldTour teams for some time, and earned the fruits of the labour this season at the biggest race of them all in the Tour de France.

The combative Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) claimed the team’s first-ever Grand Tour stage win, after beating Swiss Champion Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla) in a two-up breakaway sprint, with Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceunick) just behind.

To add to the delight, former Tour de l’Avenir winner Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) delivered on his GC potential, finishing 6th overall, further illustrating the capabilities of the Norwegian team in cycling’s top tier.

Wærenskjold himself, who had been instrumental, winning Omloop Nieuwsblad at the start of the season and claiming the GC along with two stages at the Lidl Deutschland Tour, acknowledged the clear objective for the time trial event. "I should aim for 5th-6th place here, which would give 60-70 points in the ranking."

The stakes couldn't be higher. WorldTour status would guarantee Uno-X entry to all major races for the next three years, including automatic invitations to the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España.

"It has been an intense run this autumn. From a dead heat between us and Cofidis, to a big gap, and to where we are now, and it doesn't make much difference. It's nerve-wracking. And it's very important that we do it," Wærenskjold added.

The team has offered compensation for the missed holiday, and Wærenskjold will receive the start money that would normally go to the team. He and his fiancée will instead spend a few days in Paris before continuing to New York, which was part of their original plans.

"It may be that the WorldTour place is secured before I start on Sunday," Wærenskjold said hopefully. "I hope that I can just cruise through and celebrate that it's done."