Could this be UAE's final transfer market signing? - Classics specialist reportedly close to joining Tadej Pogacar's squad in 2027
CyclingThursday, 20 August 2026 at 13:43
UAE Team Emirates are reportedly in advanced talks to sign a French classics specialist from Decathlon CMA CGM, bolstering their support of Tadej Pogacar in one-day races next season and beyond.
Spanish publication MARCA reports that talks to sign Pierre Gautherat are in the advanced stages and that a three-year contract through to 2029 is lined up should confirmation come.
23-year-old Gautherat is already tried and tested in monument races such as Milano-Sanremo, Tour of Flanders and Paris Roubaix, and has shown an impressive engine and resilience chasing personal goals such as Paris-Cambembert and the 4 Jours de Dunkerque in 2025.
The report also indicates that UAE see him as an option to bolster their classics squad, easing the pressure on some riders usually prominent in Grand Tours. With Pogacar showing no signs of calming his relentless spring pursuits, the Frenchman could play a key role in those line-ups.
On paper, the move could be UAE's final signing for the 2027 season. Following the confirmation of deals to sign Marco Frigo, Abel Balderstone and Davide Stella, their officially contracted riders for 2027 stands at 25.
UAE's 2027 roster
Although not officially confirmed, reports indicate that the other four spots on the team after Gautherat's potential signing could be filled by the remaining riders currently with the team.
Those with no confirmed contracts for 2027 include: Ivo and Rui Oliveira, Julius Johansen, Igor Arrieta, Rune Herregodts, Juan Sebastian Molano, Pavel Sivakov, Vegard Stake Laengen. However, riders such as Sivakov, Arrieta, Molano and Herregodts have been heavily linked with transfers in recent months.
The news comes as Pogacar prepares to make history by winning the 2026 Vuelta a Espana. Already winning the Tour de France last month, Pogacar can make it a Grand Tour double this season and add the Spanish Tour to his 2024 Giro d'Italia win - completing the trilogy of overall victories over three weeks.
Tadej Pogacar rides the Vuelta a España 2026
Tadej Pogacar targets history and World Championships
Already equalling the record for Tour de France wins this summer, Pogacar can go into an official league of his own in 2027 if he was to take a sixth La Grand Boucle. After a dominant performance that saw him win comfortably after riding into yellow in just six stages, he will be the heavy favourite next July.
Meanwhile at La Vuelta, his main rivals come in the form of contenders such as Felix Gall, Richard Carapaz, Oscar Onley and Enric Mas in a Vuelta steeped in heavy climbing and finishing in Granada on September 13th.
Pogacar returns to the race for the first time since 2019 and hopes to combine the Vuelta with his ambitions to win a third World Championships in a row. The Elite Men's Road Race comes just two weeks after the curtain closes on the Spanish Grand Tour. Remco Evenepoel and Mathieu van der Poel are expected to be his big rivals in Montreal in his mission for the rainbow bands.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- I still like remembering the Giro 2024. The Italians loved Pogi, his style of racing and attacking. On the last stage we could see hundreds of Italians holding Slovenian flags or signs saying: "Grazie Tadej... grazie Pogi..." or "Tadej, ti amiamo"-meaning "Tadej we love you." ... I saw nothing like that this year when Jonas won. He's just a boring cyclist, that's a fact. Yes, he's good, one of the best stage racers...but boring... Yawn yawn... Now the Spaniards are going crazy over Pogi. The Spanish media exploded: "TADEJ POGAČAR, THE BEST CYCLIST IN THE WORLD IS COMING TO SPAIN"... Pogi vs everyone will be interesting. Cyclists fighting for second and third place will be interesting. Austin Powers would say "Yeah baby"!!!PogiSloFans20-08-2026
- This is just stupid, Organizers have the maximum power to make change, to make a course safe. Not UCI. UCI is literally powerless before ASO and RCS. The UCI is a stupid org but that dont mean it is completely responsible for all that is wrong. Also the team pushing the rider and the rider themselves putting themselves at risk are also prominent reasons. UCI are at fault for not investigating the proper causes and not making the rules. Here's what is common Finlay Tarling (2026): Descent/Traffic André Drege (2024): Descent Muriel Furrer (2024): Descent Gino Mäder (2023): Descent Tijl De Decker (2023): Traffic Davide Rebellin (2022): Traffic Antoine Demoitié (2016): Traffic Wouter Weylandt (2011):Descent Fabio Casartelli (1995): Descent there have been plenty of serious/near death experiences as well probably 10 times more- Jonas, Remco, Froome, Bernalabstractengineer20-08-2026
- Hey you, the american redneck Trump voter, is that all you've got? It's tough when you run out of valid arguments, ain't it?PogiSloFans20-08-2026
- Yeah you did, but not about the same topic. I have more inside information than Cyclinguptodate. Capish?PogiSloFans20-08-2026
- how come i have read your 'insider information' weeks ago on this website?Ketterechts20-08-2026
- YAWN ! When a redneck Trump voter wants to be sarcastic. .PogiSloFans20-08-2026
- In the Visma team they have problems with roster and staff departures. The team lost high-profile riders and crucial coaching figures, while head of racing Grischa Niermann surprisingly showed them his middle finger and jumped ship to a rival team. Reports and my insider information point to internal strain caused by the team's uncompromising, highly rigid training and operational methods that have become "old fashioned." That's the reason Niermann left. With elite cycling budgets skyrocketing toward €60 million, the team has been actively hunting for a major co-title sponsor to maintain its competitive edge, but it ain't working too well. Let's remember that Jonas criticised Visma during the Tour??? Now why would he do that while the Tour was still in progress and he is their No.1 rider??? There is something very wrong in Visma!!!PogiSloFans20-08-2026
- Who's Mou???PogiSloFans20-08-2026
- Which is nuts when you think about it. They won all three GTs in a single year, and filled the podium of the last one with the other two winners. It was unprecedented. But then lost several key team-mates to retirement (medically-forced or otherwise), and the wheels just came off a bit. I find it hard to believe that they can't scrape up a new title sponsor when there's so many other teams who (with all due respect) win f*ck-all compared to them, and don't have the name recognition and stand-out riders that a sponsor would want. Such a bizarre sport in that respect.wrsty20-08-2026
- I've always wondered the same thing with Mouse. Maybe he's truly a closet Jonas fan and doesn't want anyone to know it.frieders320-08-2026
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