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Jonas Abrahamsen pounded Swift in the pursuit of perfection on the pavement.
Team Uno-X Mobility’s breakaway-busting Tour de France star endured five-hour trainer rides, bathroom heat sessions, and a masochistic altitude camp to emerge from the long night of Norwegian winter primed for his precious Paris-Roubaix.
“It hurts to do your first five-hour ride inside, but after that, the mental side is not so bad,” Abrahamsen told Velo.
“Knowing it will make me good for my big goals in the classics, it motivates me to do the big indoor workouts,” he said. “It makes the pain worthwhile.”
The internet blew up last month when Velo’s training sleuth Zach Nehr noted Abrahamsen was riding 25 hours per week on the indoor trainer.
The strapping 29-year-old said a steady diet of cookies and a well-stocked Spotify playlist made such mid-winter madness tolerable.
In fact, the sheer stupidity of it was part of the appeal. This is a stocky ruller who went on altitude camp with the team’s climbers, after all.
“Sometimes I like to do something crazy,” Abrahamsen said from atop the Sierra Nevada.
“Sometimes it does something with your head when you’re going five, six hours on a home trainer. I think you get a new barrier, and you find extra motivation.
“I like to do these crazy things that test me,” he continued.
“At that camp, the others were around 60 kilos, and I’m more like 80. So it’s hard for me, but it’s good training.”
Choosing Zwift over Spain
Of course, Abrahamsen isn’t the first Norwegian to be forced indoors in the feeble Farenheits and frozen tarmac of a Scandinavian winter.
However, it seems Abrahamsen doesn’t find it a chore to be stuck inside through the bleak Norwegian noir.
While many Scandinavians might seek out sunny miles in Spain, Abrahamsen opts for home comforts and Watopia. Very rare ventures into the Oslo tundra are made on a cyclocross bike with nobbled 35mm tires.
“I was away a lot in the season, then in Gran Canaria before Christmas. Then we had another camp in January. So it’s nice to be home after a long season, and the trainer is nice I think,” Abrahamsen said on a recent call.
“I was thinking with almost three weeks at home I’d like to do a lot on the trainer,” he said. “I respond very well to the intervals, and I know it sets me up very well for later in the year, so it keeps me motivated.”
Sweating up the shower room
The motivation of bettering a standout 2024 classics campaign and bombastic Tour de France keeps Abrahamsen’s eyes locked onto his Zwift avatar.
In fact, the so-called “Plow” and his new TEACHER TRAINING Alexander Olav BU are leaving no gain unexploited on the road toward a dream top-10 at Paris-Roubaix.
Better diet, better rest, and some at-home heat sessions are all part of his cobblestone quest.
“I do heat sessions in the bathroom. I have the heating on full and a towel at the bottom of the door to keep out the cold,” Abrahamsen told Velo. “It starts at 20 degrees C and goes up to 30 degrees in 20 minutes. I’ve even had it up to 35.”
Velo didn’t dare ask how Abrahamsen’s girlfriend feels about her bathroom becoming a pain cave.
But it seems Abrahamsen does make some concession to domestic bliss. He uses an air filter to clear as much as one and a half litres of fluid per hour from his sopping bathroom appliances.
“Knowing you have a heat session in the last hour is the best part of going on the home trainer,” he said. “It makes time go faster, because you have something different to do by splitting it up.
“Also, after the session, you can take a shower straight away. I just take the shower head off and turn on the water while I’m still sitting there,” he joked.
‘Being good for Roubaix motivated me all through winter’
Hopes are high for Abrahamsen, who is now the figurehead of his rising Uno-X Mobility ProTeam.
The 29-year-old put the squad front and center of last year’s Tour de France with his relentless pursuit of breakaway kilometers. Time in the polka dot jersey, a second-place stage finish, and the tale of his revolutionary weight gain made him a household name during The tour.
Before that, Abrahamsen lit up the cobblestone classics and scored headline victory over Biniam Girmay and Kaden Groves at the Brussels Cycling Classic.
It was a stellar season that earned him a contract extension through 2028 and the honor of being Uno-X’s longest-signed rider.
“Last year gives me confidence. I know now that if I’m in good shape I’m good enough to actually win big races,” Abrahamsen said. “That’s why I’m always so motivated to do something extra in training.
“I know if the shape is good, I can be there with the best. Seeing myself do better every day keeps me going.”
Abrahamsen is set to test his wild Norwegian winter at Paris-Nice, Milan-San Remo, and all the major cobbled classics before he hopes to be hanging with Mathieu van der Poel on the most fearsome pavement in France.
“The main goal is Paris-Roubaix. I know I can do good there. I hope to get in very good shape from E3 to Roubaix, and then I can hopefully get some chances,” he said.
“Being good for Roubaix motivated me all through winter.”
If anybody deserves a top-10 at Roubaix, it’s some willing to work through repeated five-hour indoor rides.
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Jonas Abrahamsen, the standout rider of Team Uno-X Mobility, has taken an unconventional and grueling approach to his training in preparation for the Paris-Roubaix, a race he has set as his primary goal for the season. Known for his relentless pursuit of perfection, Abrahamsen has embraced a rigorous indoor training regimen during the harsh Norwegian winter, including five-hour trainer rides, heat sessions in his bathroom, and even an altitude camp with climbers far lighter than his 80kg frame. His dedication to these extreme methods stems from a belief in their effectiveness and a desire to push his limits.
Abrahamsen’s indoor training, which peaked at 25 hours per week, caught the attention of the cycling world when highlighted by Velo’s training analyst Zach Nehr. While many might view such indoor sessions as monotonous, Abrahamsen finds motivation in knowing that these efforts will pay off in the classics. He described the mental challenge of enduring long indoor rides but emphasized the satisfaction of breaking through new barriers. His approach is further facilitated by a steady diet of cookies and a well-curated Spotify playlist, making the grind more bearable.
Unlike many Scandinavian riders who head to Spain for winter training, Abrahamsen prefers the comfort of home and the virtual roads of Zwift. He occasionally ventures outdoors on a cyclocross bike with 35mm tires but largely relies on indoor training to maintain consistency. This preference reflects his tailored approach to training, focusing on what works best for him rather than following convention.
Abrahamsen’s commitment extends beyond the trainer. He incorporates heat sessions in his bathroom, turning it into a makeshift pain cave by cranking up the heat and sealing the door with a towel to keep the warmth in. These sessions, which can elevate the temperature to 35°C, help him acclimate to extreme conditions and break up the monotony of indoor training. He even jokes about showering straight after these sessions while still on the trainer, showcasing his unorthodox yet effective methods.
The Norwegian rider’s motivation is fueled by his standout performances in 2024, including a sensational breakaway victory at the Brussels Cycling Classic and a dominant presence in the Tour de France, where he wore the polka dot jersey and secured a second-place stage finish. These achievements have solidified his confidence and reinforced his belief in his ability to compete with the best. His contract extension through 2028 and his status as Uno-X Mobility’s longest-signed rider further underscore his importance to the team.
Abrahamsen’s primary focus for the season is Paris-Roubaix, a race he believes suits his strengths. He aims to hit peak form from E3 Harelbeke through Roubaix, with the hope of securing a top-10 finish. His preparation throughout the winter has been laser-focused on this goal, with every grueling session on the trainer contributing to his readiness for the cobblestone classics.
Abrahamsen’s unique approach to training, combining extreme indoor workouts, heat acclimatization, and a relentless drive to improve, sets him apart as a rider willing to go the extra mile—literally and figuratively. His dedication to pushing boundaries and his belief in the payoff make him a formidable contender for the 2024 classics. If anyone can secure a top-10 finish at Paris-Roubaix, it’s the rider who willingly endures five-hour indoor rides in the depths of a Norwegian winter.
