Despite the surprise about the move, it is not unjustified for Johansen, as Holm emphasizes. “They probably saw his wattage and thought: Here’s a man who can drive from morning to night,” estimates Holm. “Someone who can endure climbs and help in the same way as a man like Tim Declerq. Who knows? Maybe, like Lars Bak back then, he can develop into an even stronger rider and suddenly win some cycling races too.”
“I know that Julius himself has been calling around to find someone to help him. I heard that there is a coach from the UAE who has been involved with Julius, who saw his numbers and thought that he was with them Watt Numbers is a man they can use,” Holm continued. “If you’ve followed Julius since he became Junior World Champion, there’s no doubt about it. If you saw him ride in Ballerup, he was able to do something you’ve almost never seen before. Remco Evenepoel probably comes closest.”
