Martin Tjotta : " A day, my father looked at Paris-Roubaix and I said “I want to do that” »

Martin Tjotta, born the 27 mars 2001 in Oslo, is a young Norwegian cyclist who made his professional debut in 2023 with the French continental team : Bourg Ain Cycling. He has already won several amateur races during the last two years. Tjøtta is a climber – puncher who has the potential to become a great cyclist. It is to be watched in the years to come..

First steps

Cycling Times : How did you get into competitive cycling ?
Martin Tjotta : In Norway, it is common to play sports after school. We usually join a club and train as part of a social activity, Then, from time to time, we participate in races to measure ourselves against other clubs. That's often how it starts. Moi, I started cycling because I liked cycling around the neighborhood. A day, my father watched Paris-Roubaix on television and I said ” I want to do that “, and he enrolled me in a local club.
CT : You were on the UNO-X development team in 2020, then you did not continue when it became a continental team in 2021. What happened ?
MT : When the development team became a continental team, they decided to take Danes. Naturally, some runners had to be pushed aside to make room for them. I was not one of the strongest in the team, I was therefore logically thanked.
CT : Last year, you have won a UCI race, le GP de Sundvolden, with the amateur club Ringerikskraft. It was a special moment for you ?
MT : It was a wonderful moment. Sundvolden is the terrain of Ringerikskraft. The club organizes the race. It was great to get such a win in front of my family and friends. It completes an excellent first part of the season for our team..

The big leap to France

CT : What motivated you to join an amateur team? (Bourg Ain Cycling) in France rather than staying in Norway ?
MT : I wanted adventure. I was given the opportunity to live in France, in a beautiful region to train. I liked the race schedule, there were a lot of races that suited me. And I was promised that with good results, the path would be short to go from an amateur French team to a professional French team.
CT : What difficulties did you encounter as a young foreign cyclist in a French amateur team ?
MT : The French have a different culture than Norway. They are much more formal, they greet each other much more, and they have quite different philosophies when it comes to training and racing.
CT : What are the most rewarding and difficult aspects of the life of a young cyclist in a foreign team ?
MT : I think the most rewarding was to succeed with the team. The team makes a lot of effort to make me perform, it is rewarding to be able to succeed. The most difficult aspect was the communication during the races. Not everyone in the team is fluent in English and my French is not very good. It is therefore not always easy to understand each other during the races.
CT : What are the main differences that you have noticed between cycling in Norway and France ?
MT : There are many more races in France, every weekend, there are several races. It gives a lot of opportunities, but it also makes it difficult to predict when to train and when to be on top of your game.
CT : How do you sum up your start to the season on the French circuit?, punctuated by three notable successes ?
MT : So far, the season can be summed up in consistency. The season has been good from the start. I was lucky to be spared from disease, injuries and falls. And I was able to train between races, which has allowed me to keep in shape over time.

Ambitions for the future

CT : Your first UCI race this year was the Alpes Isère Tour, where you finished 4th overall on a very mountainous course. Did you surprise yourself, knowing that you were rather known as a fast puncher ?
MT : I was a little surprised. I knew I could be able to be at the top of the rankings. I trained a lot on the long climbs, knowing that there would be many races with such profiles this season. This season, I tried to be more of a climber than a puncher.
CT : After this rather impressive start, have you had contact with professional teams ? A course is scheduled for August ?
MT : I have been contacted by a few professional teams, but nothing is sure yet. I hope to be able to do an internship after the summer, but I still don't know anything about my future.
CT : Do you have any specific goals for the second half of the season? ?
MT : I think the goal is to do an internship and do a good job there. Otherwise, I hope to win the Coupe de France with Bourg-en-Bresse.
CT : What are your plans for your cycling career? ?
MT : I hope I can become a professional cyclist and be one of the best riders, traveling across Europe for groceries.

We pass on our thanks to Martin and wish him the best.