2022 Season Summary
2022 was not the greatest year to kickstart the team’s introduction to women’s racing as the final team to exploit a loophole and join the Women’s WorldTour without an intro season at the Continental level. Injuries were a big big problem and began to take their toll across the season. The team needed a big year from Susanne Andersen but she was struck down halfway through the classics after getting off to a good start in 2022. Mie Bjørndal Ottestad combined being run over by another team’s car post-race with a heavy crash in Scandinavia. The likes of Anne Dorthe Ysland also found the crash bug at the Battle of the North too. All in all, bad luck seemed to prevail when opportunities were there to do well.
The team’s only victories in 2022 came in national championships – Anniina Ahtosalo becoming a double Finnish champion and Joss Lowden winning the British TT championship. The team struggled to score points and is in proper trouble when it comes to staying in the Women’s WorldTour after the 2023 season. A very Women’s WorldTour heavy calendar last year plays a big role in that, Anniina Ahtosalo being a good example. The young Finn bookended her season with strong finishes in Vuelta CV Feminas and Binche-Chimay-Binche, both 1.1 races which are ideal points-scoring and development opportunities.
2022 World Ranking: 24th
2022 WorldTour Ranking: 20th
2023 Transfers In
- Maria Giulia Confalonieri
- Amalie Dideriksen
- Anouska Koster
2023 Transfers Out
- None
Star Riders
Riders to Watch in 2023
If Susanne Andersen can get a full injury-free season in, she may be able to guide this team to qualify for a WWT spot next season. Now with a season’s experience in the books, Anniina Ahtosalo is going to be an exciting option provided we see her at the right races in 2023. A crash-free year for both of Mie Bjørndal Ottestad and Anne Dorthe Ysland would go a long way as well. Ottestad was 17th at the Tour de France Femmes which shows what might be possible at other climbing races as well. There have been glimpses from Anne Dorthe Ysland that there is a great talent about to break out. 6th at Binche-Chimay-Binche and 8th in the sprint on Stage 1 of the Women’s Tour matched what she did the year before and hint that there’s a big result coming.
Overall, Uno-X is quite a young team. The likes of Wilma Olausson, Rebecca Koerner, Hannah Ludwig and Amalie Lutro are all under 23 years old and can all put a quiet 2022 season behind them and really push on in 2023.
Transfer Thoughts
The signing of Maria Giulia Confalonieri does a lot to give Uno-X a chance of remaining in the WWT. The Italian can get good results just about anywhere and if the team is prepared to play the points game, she will be able to rinse the 1.1 type races as well as chipping in with some strong Women’s WorldTour race finishes too. Amalie Dideriksen could be a genuinely great signing but there are caveats that could sort themselves out as the season starts. The Dane will have Paris Olympics track duties this year but it also feels like lightyears since the former World Champion was a top sprinter in the women’s peloton. Part of that is down to riding for the 2 strongest teams in the women’s peloton with a strong pecking order. Last season Dideriksen was primarily working for Elisa Balsamo for instance. Things may come good with a clearer path to sprint chances this season.
Anoushka Koster is a fun rider to watch race and certainly gives the team something they didn’t necessarily have in 2022. Always ready to attack, her 7th in GC at the Tour of Scandinavia was nice to see with the major climb involved. Freed from assisting Marianne Vos in the Ardennes, Koster should be able to score some better results there than in the last 2 seasons. Between her and Confalonieri, Uno-X has some options there that were missing previously.
2023 Full Roster
- Anniina Ahtosalo
- Susanne Andersen
- Elinor Barker
- Hannah Barnes
- Maria Giulia Confalonieri
- Amalie Dideriksen
- Marta Berg Edseth
- Rebecca Koerner
- Anouska Koster
- Joss Lowden
- Hannah Ludwig
- Amalie Lutro
- Julie Leth
- Wilma Olausson
- Mie Bjørndal Ottestad
- Anne Dorthe Ysland
