Brandon McNulty: "It's going to be a good season"

The American rider from UAE Team Emirates is having a tremendously strong start of the season and is ambitious coming into the main goals of 2022. Brandon McNulty is looking forward to being at the Tour de France where he hopes to assist Tadej Pogačar to a third consecutive victory.

On an interview at the ongoing Volta ao Algarve, where McNulty finished 9th on the opening stage and is one of the main favourites for the overall win, he's mentioned his start of the season in Mallorca: "There's definitely some extra confidence for me. I've been super close in the last two years to a victory, so it was good to finally pull it off and kind of see what it feels like. I was also close on a couple of other days this year already, so I definitely have more confidence coming into this year, just being at the front of the races and whatnot. It's exciting for me."

After winning Trofeo Palma with a solo ride of over 60 kilometers, he finished in the first places at the Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana and Trofeo Pollença. Last week he was close to pulling off another impressive win at the Vuelta a Murcia, but ended up assisting his teammates to a one-two win in Spain. Now, at the Volta ao Algarve, he will be one of the main rivals to Remco Evenepoel, as he should thrive in the time-trial and the mountains will also be to his liking.

It is only the start of the season for McNulty though, as he looks forward to more distant goals: "Paris-Nice, the Basque Country and Romandie are all kind of objectives. I want to have a good early season and then a break before I focus on the Grand Tours, the Tour and Vuelta at the end of the year. It's going to be a good season."

"I think if the Tour goes well, the team will be in a good position to give other guys freedom and race how we want. But a lot of things have to go well, so it's easier said than done. I think it's something you've got to accept. And just to be in the Tour de France and on the team that's going for a third win in a row, it's quite an honour. It's not something many people get to do in their careers. And for me it's still special to be a part of someone winning the Tour," he completed.