Kristian Blummenfelt’s coach becomes head coach of Norwegian cycling team Uno-X
Olav Aleksander Bu to become head coach of Uno-X cycling team

Uno-X has hired Olav Aleksander Bu, who has gained international recognition as the coach of triathletes Kristian Blummenfelt and Magnus Ditlev, to work as head coach of the team.
Bu has a background in research-driven training and performance optimization, which made him an ideal fit for the role, according to Uno-X managing director Thor Hushovd.
“Bu’s experience and innovative approach will elevate both our riders and coaches. We want our team to feel proud to work with someone of his calibre,” former pro cyclist Hushovd told Norway’s TV2.
Will continue to work with Blummenfelt
Although Bu will take on his new responsibilities with Uno-X, he will continue to coach Blummenfelt and, presumably, Iden. (The two have been training together as they prepare for the upcoming Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.)
After Blummenfelt’s gold-medal performance at the Tokyo Olympics, he would go on to win the World Triathlon Championship that year (2021) and also win the 2021 Ironman World Championship (which was held in 2022 in St. George, Utah). Iden won the 2019 Ironman 70.3 World Championship titles in 2019 and 2021, and took the Ironman World Championship in Kona in 2022, finishing ahead of Sam Laidlow and Blummenfelt that year. (In 2023 Iden lost his mother and also sustained an Achilles tendon injury, from which he is just recovering.)
Despite earlier speculation, Blummenfelt has no immediate plans to join the cycling team. Hushovd confirmed that while Blummenfelt is welcome to train alongside the cycling team, there are no plans for a switch to professional cycling for the triathlete at this time.
Bu, known for his analytical approach, plans to spend time getting familiar with the team before making adjustments.
“I’ll start by understanding how things work within the team. My goal isn’t to revolutionize, but rather to fine-tune what’s already working well,” he said.
The Tour de France à la Kristian Blummenfelt’s coach
Bu made headlines in the summer when he revealed that triathlete Blummenfelt, planned to win the Tour de France—despite never having raced as a professional cyclist. In an interview with Norway’s TV2, Bu stated that Blummenfelt was “90 per cent likely” to switch focus from triathlon to cycling in 2025, with the ultimate goal of securing the yellow jersey by 2028.
Blummenfelt, who was preparing to defend his Olympic gold medal in triathlon at the Paris Games, did not yet have a contract with a WorldTour team for 2025. However, Bu expressed confidence in their approach. “We believe there’s an opportunity to make a difference in cycling,” Bu explained. “Some teams are welcoming our research, technology and development, understanding that these innovations can take the sport to the next level.”
The plan for Blummenfelt was to take a gradual approach, racing his first Grand Tour in 2026 as a test. In 2027, the goal would be to target stage wins, before making a serious bid for the overall Tour de France title in 2028. “It has to be the yellow jersey in the Tour de France, it’s that simple,” Bu said.
Rats! Kristian Blummenfelt isn’t going to win the Tour, after all
In a September interview with Velo, Bu reversed his earlier stance on Blummenfelt’s plans to switch to pro cycling and target the Tour de France. Bu revealed that Blummenfelt would instead focus on triathlon, aiming for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“After the Paris review, we’ve decided to aim for Los Angeles 2028,” Bu said. “Despite the results in Paris, we’re more confident that transitioning back from Ironman to the Olympics is possible. We want to give it one last shot.”
Bu is not the first triathlete coach to transition to cycling. He’s following in the steps of Dan Lorang, who is the Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe coach and also the coach of triathletes Jan Frodeno, Anne Haug, Lucy Charles-Barclay, and Taylor Knibb, who won the US Time Trial Championships earlier this year, qualifying to race the event at the Paris Olympics.