Uno-X makes public plea for multi-million partnership to back post-Tour de France future

Published January 6, 2023 10:31AM

The hunt for team sponsorship doesn’t take place via top-secret emails and high-stakes meets when you’re Team Uno-X.

The ambitious Scandi set-up launched a public appeal for backing via its mailing list and social channels Friday, hot off the back of its men’s team receiving a wildcard invite for a debut run at the Tour de France.

With the Uno-X Women’s WorldTour team also returning to the Tour de France Femmes, 2023 will see the Uno-X project make a huge step forward in its meteoric path through pro cycling.

“In 2023 we will race the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift,” team manager Jens Haugland wrote Friday. “The biggest races on the calendar for men and women. It is an incredible milestone for our team. For our people. For our identity. For our business.”

“We want to continue and strengthen this long-term project. We want to be competitive against the best riders in the world for many years ahead; therefore we need world-class partners to come along.

“With its Norwegian-Danish roots, this setup has enormous potential. This team is now ready to invite a naming partner into the project.”

And what does it take to become co-backer of one of the fastest-growing teams in pro cycling? A cool 4-6 million euros per year, for at least three years, according to Haugland’s plea to potential backers.

For comparison, supersquads Ineos Grenadiers, Jumb0-Visma and UAE Emirates are estimated to control some 40-50 million euros per season.

‘One of our long-term goals is to be able to fight for the top positions in the Tour de France’

Uno-X’s dayglo crew made its presence felt from as soon as it hit the male peloton in 2017.

Backed by the Norweigan mobility company Uno-X, the team took Hagens Berman Axeon as a template with its commitment to developing young talent and seeks inspiration from the team values of soccer squad Ajax.

The team hit a high in 2020 with 14 victories and continued to impress through to 2022 with riders like Tobias Halland Johannessen, Anthon Charmig, and Rasmus Tiller.

The Uno-X set up launched its Women’s WorldTour team in 2022 which went on to race the inaugural Tour de France Femmes and score a number of classics top-10s in its debut season.

The Scandi sensation continues to aim for the sky with its wildcard Tour de France invite and the arrival of home star Alexander Kristoff in 2023.

“We are extremely proud, humble, and grateful for the invitation,” team manager Haugland wrote earlier this week. “The Tour de France is the ultimate dream, and just being a part of this is a victory for the team.”

“We will be well prepared for this year’s edition. One of our long-term goals is to be able to fight for the top positions in Tour de France in the future. We see no reason to think that this isn’t possible.”

Some 15 million euros investment will no doubt help with those big long-term ambitions.