Future pro Staune-Mittet full of energy for home race
Team Jumbo-Visma will participate in the Tour of Norway from Friday, 26 to Monday, 29 May. Johannes Staune-Mittet, who usually rides for the Jumbo-Visma Development Team, will be back among the pros in his home country.
The 21-year-old Norwegian has been riding for Team Jumbo-Visma since 2021. Next season he will move from the development squad to the Dutch cycling team’s main squad. "I am looking forward to it. The integration of young talents in this team goes very smoothly, also because of the opportunities riders from the Development Team get at the highest level.”
The Tour of Norway kicks off this Friday with a prologue in Bergen, with the finish at the top of Mount Fløyen. The climb will be fresh in the minds of many cycling fans as it was the site of the 2017 World Cup time trial. Stages two, three and four have a treacherous course with the necessary elevation gains.
"I was hoping that this race would fit into my schedule"
"The organisation has put together a nice course", Staune-Mittet says. "Hopefully, the weather will be good, and then it will be a cycling party with many enthusiastic spectators. My family is also coming to watch it. That gives me extra motivation. I was hoping at the beginning of the year that this race would fit into my schedule.”
The young Norwegian has just returned from an altitude training camp. "I have been at altitude for the last three weeks as part of my personal development. I usually come back tired from an intensive camp, but now I only have positive energy and strength. I am excited to see how my body will respond to my training in this race.”
The runner-up in the last edition of the Tour de l'Avenir has already raced two stage races with riders from the WorldTour team this season, at O Gran Camiño and the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali. "In these races, you learn a lot as a young rider. In Spain, for example, it was great to contribute to Jonas Vingegaard's final victory. That is very valuable for young riders. At the Tour of Norway, we will start with a strong and balanced team. As Team Jumbo-Visma, we always aim for the best possible result”, Staune-Mittet says.
In addition to Staune-Mittet, Mick and Tim van Dijke, Tosh Van der Sande, Attila Valter and Gijs Leemreize are part of Team Jumbo-Visma's six-man squad for the Scandinavian race.
