Johannes Staune-Mittet: I wasn't going to jump on any train that came along 🚅
The Norwegian speaks exclusively on why he ended his contract at Visma-Lease a Bike and moved to Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
Leaving one of the best Grand Tour teams is never an easy decision for a young rider to make but that’s exactly what Johannes Staune-Mittet did when he walked away from a long-term deal at Visma-Lease a Bike to start a new chapter of his career at Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale.
The reason for the switch was simple for the 22-year-old, who had spent four years at the Dutch team and had two more seasons pencilled in. At Visma he was surrounded by many of the best Grand Tours riders in the world but with such a stacked team came limited opportunities to develop, and when Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale came knocking the Norwegian knew that in order to progress he needed to break out of his comfort zone.
Currently racing his final race with Visma-Lease a Bike at the Gree-Tour of Guangxi, Staune-Mittet will travel directly from China to France when the race ends and meet his future teammates for the first time. The future is bright for the talented all-rounder with a three-year contract ahead of him.
“I wouldn’t have moved if there hadn’t been a great opportunity on the cards,” Staune-Mittet tells us before his flight to China.