Jonas Abrahamsen's 2025 has been quite the hero's journey. Just four weeks after breaking his collarbone at the Baloise Belgium Tour, he delivered a career-defining performance in Toulouse on Tour de France stage 11. He attacked from the gun with Jayco-Alula's Mauro Schmid, whom he would outsprint 160 kilometres later after a relentlessly fast and unpredictable day. His hard-fought victory was the first Tour stage win for his Uno-X Mobility team, making it also the first for a Norwegian riding for a Norwegian team. "We had nothing Toulouse," the team punned later.
It was also the first Tour de France win for the new Ridley Noah Fast 3.0, launched at the beginning of the year. The aero bike, which is now on its third generation, is said to be 8.5 watts faster than its predecessor at 50kph: since the opening hour of the stage was raced at 52kph and Abrahamsen eventually won by half a wheel, the Belgian brand might justifiably claim that the bike played a significant role in Abrahamsen's victory.
The Noah Fast 3.0 – like rival WorldTour aero bikes – was developed based on the updated UCI regulations concerning tube shapes and profiles. The main difference is in the 8:1 rule, which now allows tubes to be eight times longer than their width, whereas previously it was 3:1. This has resulted in long, narrow profiles in the fork legs, seatstays and most conspicuously at the head tube. The Nimbus integrated cockpit was specifically designed for the bike with Deda, and sits neatly on top of a lowered head tube with the stem section directly in line with the top tube. This is designed to reduce frontal area, as well as keeping the airflow attached as it passes over the cockpit. Abrahamsen further optimises airflow by turning his Shimano Dura-Ace shifters inwards so that he can bring his forearms closer together.
Before the Tour de France, Uno-X presented their racing strategy, which they called ‘Project Breakaway’ and which was fronted by general manager Thor Hushovd – a multiple Tour de France stage winner himself: “Bold ambitions demand bold collaboration… that’s why we’ve joined forces with a select group of world-class partners in cycling tech, apparel, and performance innovation. Our mission is clear. Win a stage. Be visible every single day. And fight for jerseys with everything we've got.”
One of those partners is FSA, which supplies the Powerbox Team Edition crankset to be used instead of the Dura-Ace original. Judging by the scuffed crank, this particular one has seen quite a bit of action already. The 56-tooth chainring isn’t the latest FSA carbon model and it again looks like the veteran of many fights for jerseys. Abrahamsen is using 170mm cranks – relatively long by modern standards even though he's 1m 83cm tall.
Another partner is CeramicSpeed: Uno-X use OSPW pulley cages with their Dura-Ace rear derailleurs. The Noah Fast is also equipped with the CeramicSpeed's SLT headset bearings, bottom bracket bearings and UFO Drip chain wax, upgrades which aren’t as obvious as the pulley cage but are nevertheless contributing their respective marginal gains to Project Breakaway.
Abrahamsen’s bike is fitted with the new DT Swiss ARC 1100 Dicut wheels which, like the Noah Fast, are now in their third generation with a wider internal rim width of 22mm, a new V-shaped rim profile and four rim depths. Here Abrahamsen is running the 65mm depth, the second deepest after the 85mm, with Continental Grand Prix 5000 TT TR tyres. This year we’re seeing more riders use the lightest, fastest time trial tyres – including Tadej Pogačar – and Abrahamsen has chosen these over the Aero 111 front and a Grand Prix 5000 S TR rear, a more standard setup for the team.
He’s using a Prologo Dimension saddle with Nack (carbon) rails, a relatively basic model compared with the 3D-printed models that many of his rivals are using – and Prologo has its own too – but it obviously works for him. Prologo is another of the Project Breakaway partners.
And finally, a chainstay protector adorned with the Norwegian flag. Nobody could deny that Abrahamsen has earnt it.
