TOBIAS FOSS
Norway’s first Tour de l’Avenir winner has his eyes on the Tour de France
Winning the Tour de l’Avenir is as big a deal as it gets for an U23, right?
It certainly is. Tobias Foss became Norway’s first-ever winner of the most prestigious stage race for U23 riders this August, adding his name to an illustrious roll-call that includes Egan Bernal, Esteban Chavez, Tadej Pogacar and Miguel Ángel López. The 22-year-old is from Lillehammer, the same area as Edvald Boasson Hagen, though he started out competing in biathlon before getting a taste for cycling.
What does he think of the win?
“It still feels pretty unreal when I think about it, but it’s a huge win for me,” Tobias tells Procycling. “It’s nice for my for my confidence and also to prove that my thoughts about myself and the belief I have about what I am capable of doing are correct, or in some way right.”
What’s changed this year?
Tobias, who’s been riding for the Uno-X Norwegian Development team for the past two years, relocated to warmer climes in Girona at the start of the year. But while he’s been physically getting stronger, the biggest steps forward came on the mental side, after he went through a difficult period in spring 2018. “It’s been a big change on the positive side. I got a mental coach last spring and we worked really well together,” he says.
So is Tobias a GC rider?
Tobias says his biggest asset is his engine. He can sustain his power for a long time so has a natural talent for TTs, and has also found success in classics – his one-day record this year includes seventh in U23 GentWevelgem, third in U23 Liège and sixth at the Worlds U23 road race in Yorkshire. He’s an all-rounder but wants stage racing to be his future.
What are his plans for 2020?
Tobias was snapped up by JumboVisma back in July. He first spoke with the team in 2017 and has joined them for a few training camps since, but felt ready this year to make the step up. Though he insists 2020 is all about learning and developing into a WorldTour pro, Tobias’s long term goals remain unchanged. “My big goal is to win the Tour,” he says. “I think it’s possible if
I do the hard work and keep on doing what I’m doing.”