A season that changed everything
Kulset’s words carry weight after what Uno-X achieved this year. Against all expectations, the small Norwegian outfit overturned a 3,000-point deficit to Cofidis and clinched a coveted WorldTour licence — a result few had thought remotely possible.
“At the start of the year, I thought we were going to change how we raced, but we didn’t really do that,” Kulset explained. “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.”
It was a strategy built on calmness and consistency rather than desperation. “Magnus Cort had super good results in Strade Bianche and Milano–Sanremo, and we started scoring big in the WorldTour races as well, with Tobias in the Dauphiné and in the Tour,” he said. “It started to come naturally in the final months, when we realised we actually had a chance.”
When that belief took hold, their approach evolved. “We stopped going all in for one rider and began racing with two or three options instead,” he said. “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.”
By late summer, hope had turned into conviction. “Probably around the start of August,” Kulset recalled. “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.”
Uno-X’s World Tour promotion was secured by Sakarias Koller Loland in Veneto
The Tour breakthrough
Everything changed in July. After years of close calls, Jonas Abrahamsen finally took that elusive Tour de France stage win — a moment Kulset believes transformed the team’s confidence. “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 overall only reinforced that message. “That changed everything for the team,” Kulset said. “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.”
The next wave — and the “wonderkid” debate
Uno-X’s rise has coincided with a new generation of young riders coming through the Scandinavian system, but Kulset isn’t quick to label himself among the sport’s prodigies.
“In my opinion, unless you’re on the level of Ayuso or Del Toro, there’s no point talking about being a wonderkid,” he said. “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 was equally quick to highlight others who have impressed him. “Riders like Lorenzo Finn and Jarno Widar are super impressive. Jorgen 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 Pogacar, is huge. Of course I want to be there one day, but I don’t compare myself to anyone yet.”
Looking ahead — the Giro, not the Tour
With WorldTour status secured, Kulset’s focus now turns to his own development — and his likely second Grand Tour start in 2026. “I’ll definitely do a Grand Tour next year, and it’s probably going to be the Giro,” he revealed. “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 Pogacar and prefer to race for a good result in Italy rather than getting smashed in France. As long as Pogacar 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 will bring new challenges, but the Norwegian believes Uno-X have the squad depth to meet them. “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,” he explained. “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.”
A team built, not bought
Uno-X’s rise has been one of cycling’s feel-good stories — a team that earned its place at the sport’s top table through steady growth and belief rather than big-budget signings. “We just focused on performing,” Kulset said simply.
Sometimes, in a sport obsessed with rankings, analytics and points, that’s all it takes.