Freshly hired with the UNOX pro structure, Johannes Kulset is among the riders to watch very closely in the Junior ranks. Author of a breathtaking season , he agreed to share with us his vision of cycling and his long-term goals a few days before the national championships .
1) Hi Johannes .. Can you introduce yourself to our readers??
Health, my name is Johannes Kulset. I have 18 years, and rides for local club Ringerike SK and the Norwegian national team.
2) It's your third year as a junior. , tell us what made you interested in cycling ? Did you hesitate with other sports, particularly Nordic sports??
Yes and no. When I was younger, I participated in bandy competitions, nordic skiing, football and cycling. Until the age of 15 years, my biggest dream was to become a soccer player and play for FC Barcelona. The social aspect of sport has always been important to me. I've always loved the closet vibe with the boys before and after Bandy and Football games. At the same time, my family has always been my biggest inspiration, so cycling was probably always meant for me. I really started training as a cyclist at the start of the Covid pandemic (March of 2020) and since then I am convinced in what I really want.
3) What category of runners do you think you belong to? ? Where would you like to improve the most?
I am a climber with a good resistance and I do well in both long and short efforts.. I really want to improve my sprint, in order to be able to obtain good results in small groups, and not just solo. Also, I want to improve on the time trial. I am a small size, corn Remco(Evenepoel) shows that it is possible to be both small and capable of being one of the greatest pilots of individual effort in the world. And my teammate Jorgen Nordhagen is one of the best time trial riders in the junior peloton. Ultimately it's a quality that I really want to develop to be a complete rider on the general classifications in the future..
4) How do you rate your first part of the season?
My start to the season has been great. Coming back from a season last year where I was lucky enough to be part of the best Norwegian junior team ever with Per Hagenes and Stian Fredheim as the main leaders. This year started with a bit of bad luck for us. In the Belgian classics Nokere Koerse and Ghent Wevelgem our sprinter Oliver Aukland and I had fallen to 3 km from the goal in Nokere and 150 m in Ghent, so no result there. After that, our team has been consistent and amazing. We ran four Nations Cup stage races. And I've been on the GC podium in all of them. Our team took control of all the tough races to put Jorgen(Nordhagen) and me in good conditions for the crucial moments , so we were not the only ones in the good implementation of these artifices. We are a team, and I'm really grateful to be part of the group we formed this year!
5) How does a club like Ringerike SK support you ?
Ringerike always does its best for Club riders by paying race fees and arranging accommodation and travel on race weekends. Ringerike is also the “main team” of my school. So, many of my friends also ride for Ringerike, and it's always great to compete with your friends in races!
6) You have a long-term contract with the UNOX team effective from the 2023 season. How would you like to evolve there? ?
In 2023, I will mainly run with the devo team and I will do races like the Baby giro, the Giro Valle d’aosta and the Ronde de L’Isard. To be, I can develop my skills in general rankings and, let's hope so, learn a lot by running for victories and podiums with the team! In 2024, the plan is to turn pro and race with the pro team. But it will still be an opportunity to run U23 races like the first year. In this structure, they take care of each other, and they have provisions that allow runners to develop at their own pace, with little stress. It's a team that sees the long term .
7) So you will be the fourth Kulset brother to join the structure. How do you learn from your elders? And your father seems to be a big support for you. Is he like a trainer for you ?
I've seen my brothers play sports all my life, and I always wanted to do the same as them. They were kind enough to let me train with them since I was in kindergarten, so I learned a lot from them just by watching them. And also we talk a lot together about training. It's great for me, because they have a lot of experiences and have lived a lot more than me so far. I wouldn't say my dad is a trainer, but he is definitely a great support for me. He's probably my best friend and the one who knows me best, so he looks more like a mental trainer maybe?
8) What are your big goals for the end of the season? ? would you like to attend the Weelong worlds?
I would love to participate in the world championships . And that would of course be a great goal, but I don't want to have to focus on a particular race, because a lot can happen during a race. And there are many other events apart from the Worlds , it would be cool to get great results !
9) What race do you dream of winning as a professional? ?
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10)Do you study in parallel with the practice of cycling ?
Yes. I study at the Norwegian School of Elite Sports. And I have a year left there.
