Magnus Sheffield to leave Netcompany Ineos for four-year contract with Uno-X Mobility
American highlights Norwegian heritage as motivator behind the switch, team noting he 'understands the culture and can become part of it naturally from day one'
Magnus Sheffield will leave Netcompany Ineos after starting his career with the British team five seasons ago and join the Uno-X Mobility squad on a four-year contract through 2030, the Norwegian team announced on Wednesday.
The team's General Manager Thor Hushovd said the move was a "big signing" for Uno-X Mobility.
"Magnus is a rider with enormous potential, and I don't think we have seen the full extent of it yet," Hushovd said in the team's press release. "He has already finished fourth in Paris-Nice and sixth in [the Tour of] Flanders. That tells you a lot about the range he has.
"We believe we can give him the environment to take another step and develop into one of the leading riders in the sport."
Uno-X Mobility has never had any riders from countries other than Norway and Denmark, but Sheffield is a dual US-Norwegian citizen. His mother is from Gjøvik, having moved to the US as a 20-year-old, and the family speaks English and Norwegian, which will help the team's first American fit in.
"We are proud of the Norwegian part of Magnus' story as well. He has a Norwegian mother, he has spent a lot of time in Norway, and importantly for us, he speaks Norwegian," Hushovd said.
"Language is an important part of the identity we have built as a team. Magnus understands the culture and can become part of it naturally from day one. And on top of everything he can do on the bike, he is an incredibly good guy."
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Sheffield, who won De Brabantse Pijl in his first season in the WorldTour, has shown great promise as a stage racer with podiums in the Tour of Norway and Tour of Denmark, fourth in Paris-Nice, and fifth in the Tour de Pologne. He has also won a stage in Paris-Nice and the Vuelta a Andalucia.
A strong time trialist and climber, he has raced the Giro d'Italia twice and the Vuelta a España once, Sheffield has yet to take part in the Tour de France.
"From my first conversations with Thor, I felt that this was an environment where I could take the next step in my career," Sheffield said. "I've heard from both riders and staff that Uno-X genuinely feels like a family. The team keeps growing, but you can still see how close they are. The way they race especially shows that they are one unit."
Sheffield joins incoming riders Casper Pedersen (Soudal-Quickstep), Felix Ørn-Kristoff (Lotto Intermarché) and Kristian Egholm (Lidl-Trek Future Racing) in the 2027 Uno-X Mobility lineup.
Netcompany Ineos' other two US riders, AJ August and Artem Shmidt, will also leave in 2027, with August heading to Pinarello Q36.5 and Shmidt joining NSN Cycling. The British outfit haven't yet announced any new signings except for double junior world champion Benjamin Noval.
Subscribe to Cyclingnews for comprehensive race coverage of the UCI Gravel World Championships, alongside the final monument of the season, Il Lombardia. Subscribers get unlimited access to exclusive analysis from our expert columnists, in-depth features and industry-leading tech insight. Plus, the Cyclingnews app lets you follow the action wherever you go! Join today.
Laura Weislo is a Cyclingnews veteran of 20 years. Having joined in 2006, Laura extensively covered the Operacion Puerto doping scandal, the years-long conflict between the UCI and the Tour de France organisers ASO over the creation of the WorldTour, and the downfall of Lance Armstrong and his lifetime ban for doping. As Managing Editor, Laura coordinates coverage for North American events and global news.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.