He won the Giro d'Italia Next Gen, the Ronde de l'Isard (both in 2023), was second in the Tour de l'Avenir (2022) - and all this well before reaching the age limit. Johannes Staune-Mittet will only turn 23 next January. Blessed with a wealth of talent, the Norwegian seems destined for greater things in his career as a cyclist.
However, this was hardly recognisable in his first year as a professional. Staune-Mittet was unable to achieve a single-digit result in 63 days of racing. The Norwegian's best result was twelfth place on stage 3 of the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali (2.1). Far too little for his own standards.
Staune-Mittet switches to Decathlon AG2R
But what was the reason? Is Staune-Mittet, a former cross-country skier who became Norwegian junior champion in 2019, an early developer who reached his peak performance in his early twenties and therefore has problems making the leap into the elite class? The driver side sees it differently, arguing that Staune-Mittet was almost exclusively in a helper role and had no opportunities to develop on his own.
The Norwegian therefore sought a change - and got away with it despite a current contract that would have been valid until the end of 2026. Staune-Mittet, who had already spent three years on the Dutch development team before his neo-year at Visma | Lease a Bike, is moving to Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale for the new season. "This move is not out of dissatisfaction, but with a heavy heart," his advisor Bart van Haaren told the Dutch cycling portal Wielerflits said after the move was announced in September. "But he realises that it's the best thing for his career now.
New role and first Grand Tour for Staune-Mittet
"It's extraordinary that Visma | Lease a Bike is involved," added van Haaren. "You could have thought: 'This is a top rider who will be with us for a few more years for a relatively low salary'."
Before his last race for his old team in China, Staune-Mittet himself had told the British cycling journalist Daniel Benson said: "I wouldn't have transferred if I hadn't had a great option." This implies that he was guaranteed at least free roles with the French club, including one or two captaincy roles. "His entire programme and the distribution of roles are already known to him for all these seasons (the contract runs until the end of 2027; editor's note). This includes, for example, which Grand Tour he will ride next year, but also in which races he will gradually take on a leading role," his agent specified.
Above all, participating in his first three-week national tour, which Staune Mittet was denied last year, is likely to have tickled him. "A Grand Tour is exciting when you're not the most explosive rider, but have to rely on long endurance performances," says van Haaren. His protégé at Visma hardly had the chance to tease out his abilities as a tour rider and climber. At World Tour level, only the Tour of the Basque Country and the two tours through Switzerland, Tour de Suisse and Tour de Romandie, would have been suitable from his programme. However, not in the supporting role that Staune-Mittet took on.
Staune-Mittet is to be a "key rider for the Grand Tours in the coming years"
"Johannes will take a step forward in sporting terms," van Haaren is certain. "There is also a huge financial boost, which Visma | Lease a Bike was also unable to offer. Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale is happy because they have landed a top talent and a key rider for the Grand Tours in the coming years."
No one has said it publicly. But the words give reason to believe that Staune-Mittet felt his development had been thwarted at Visma. Only 2025 will tell whether this is really the case, whether his first year as a professional was a lost one or whether he has perhaps already reached his maximum level of performance.
