'When he’s on the start line, you don’t believe you can win' - Johannes Kulset on Pogacar’s dominance

Few would have thought it possible, but Uno-X Mobility did it. Against all expectations, the Norwegian team overturned a 3,000-point deficit to Cofidis and secured promotion to the UCI WorldTour. It was a breakthrough moment for a team that has long punched above its weight. Speaking to Domestique, 21-year-old Kulset reflects on how it all came together, what it means for the future and why simplicity proved to be their greatest strength.

Heading into 2025, Uno-X faced a monumental task. Catching Cofidis in the rankings seemed almost impossible, but inside the team there was no panic. “At the start of the year, I thought we were going to change how we raced, but we didn’t really do that,” Kulset explains. “I also thought we would change the programme, but we didn’t focus too much on the points. The team just wanted us to perform as well as possible. If we got enough points, we’d deserve to be a WorldTour team. If not, we’d stay in the ProTour.”

As the season unfolded, the points began to arrive. “Magnus Cort had super good results in Strade Bianche and Milan–Sanremo, and we started scoring big in the WorldTour races as well, with Tobias in the Dauphiné and in the Tour. It started to come naturally in the final months, when we realised we actually had a chance.”

That shift changed their mindset. “We stopped going all in for one rider and began racing with two or three options instead. In Tre Valli Varesine, for example, I helped Tobias but also saved myself enough to fight for a top ten. We still raced to win, but we kept more riders in the game.”

When belief replaced hope, the team’s approach changed completely. “Probably around the start of August,” Kulset says. “The first time I really heard the sports directors talk about it was in San Sebastián and then in Burgos. We always had it in the back of our minds, but it still felt too far away. Then we had a super good summer, especially after the Tour. Tobias scored a lot of points, but also Abra, Stian and Søren. That was when we realised it was possible and started to really focus on the points.”

The Tour de France was where it all clicked. After near misses in previous years, Jonas Abrahamsen finally took that elusive stage win, a moment Kulset describes as transformational. “Yeah, for sure. I think that was when we really saw that we were on the level to fight with the best. When you win on the biggest stage, you see that everything is possible.” 

Tobias Halland Johannessen’s sixth place in GC only reinforced that belief. “That changed everything for the team. We saw signs at Omloop too, but that was a crazy race where everything opened up for Søren and he just flew through the middle. In the Tour, though, it was pure strength. It was deserved and it meant a lot to everyone.”

Uno-X has built a reputation for nurturing young Scandinavian talent, and Kulset is part of that wave. But he’s sceptical of the “wonderkid” label. “In my opinion, unless you’re on the level of Ayuso or Del Toro, there’s no point talking about being a wonderkid. Seixas is a wonderkid because he’s incredibly good. When you’re third at the European Championships, then you can talk about winning the Tour because he definitely has that potential.”

He’s quick to name others too. “Riders like Lorenzo Finn and Jarno Widar are super impressive. Jørgen Nordhagen is good, but not quite on their level. There are so many strong guys from 2000 to 2006, and more coming up. But the step from being talented to being the best is enormous. The gap from Remco down to the rest, and then from Remco up to Pogačar, is huge. Of course I want to be there one day, but I don’t compare myself to anyone yet.”

Ask any rider what it’s like to race against Tadej Pogačar, and the answer often starts with a sigh. Kulset doesn’t sugarcoat it. “When he starts, you know it’s not going to be a race, it’s just survival. Honestly, I don’t think Pogačar being so much better than everyone else is good for cycling. It’s not his fault, he’s just that good. On the other hand, it’s great for the sport to have a true superstar. He and Van der Poel are huge names beyond cycling, and that brings attention and fans. You see it at Flanders or Lombardia, the crowds around the UAE and Alpecin buses are incredible. But it’s also bad when interest drops because people expect Pogačar to win anyway. When he’s on the start line, you don’t believe in victory. In any other race, there’s always a small chance. Teams could be smarter and work together against UAE instead of helping them win.”

Next season, Kulset expects to make his second Grand Tour appearance of his career, “I’ll definitely do a Grand Tour next year, and it’s probably going to be the Giro,” he says. “I’m going to altitude in November, and that’s the plan for now. Honestly, I think the Giro could be harder than the Tour because some riders are scared of Pogačar and prefer to race for a good result in Italy rather than getting smashed in France. As long as Pogačar isn’t in the Giro, the racing will be different. There will be more breakaways and more opportunities. The Tour is just so stressful. I think it will be good for a lot of young riders to start with the Giro.”

Promotion brings new demands, but Kulset believes Uno-X has the depth to handle it. “If you look at our riders, Tobias could do two Grand Tours, maybe that’s not ideal, but Kron, Leknessund, Cort, Hoelgaard and Tiller can all do two as well. We’ll have around twenty riders who can handle Grand Tours, so we have the depth. I think we can compete in all three. The challenge will be the one-week races. It’s hard to cover everything at the same level, but we’re improving every year. With the young riders we have, the potential is huge.”

Uno-X’s rise has been steady, calculated and unmistakably human. They didn’t buy their way to the WorldTour; they raced their way there. “We just focused on performing,” Kulset says again before signing off. 

Sometimes, in a sport obsessed with points, it really is that simple.