CyclingUpToDate Awards: UAE Team Emirates crowned Team of the Year after dominant 2025 season
Cycling
There was only ever going to be one winner. After a campaign that rewrote records and redefined modern dominance, UAE Team Emirates – XRG have been voted CyclingUpToDate’s Team of the Year for 2025.
The Emirati powerhouse claimed an overwhelming 199 votes in our reader poll — more than every other nominee combined — confirming what most of the peloton already knew: when it came to all-round excellence this season, no squad came close.
A season of total control
UAE’s 2025 tally of 97 victories shattered previous benchmarks for a single season, spanning Grand Tours, Monuments and week-long stage races alike. They conquered the Tour de France, placed riders on the Giro and Vuelta podiums, and dominated spring with a Monument triple that showcased both depth and direction.
Behind headline acts like Tadej Pogacar and Isaac del Toro was a conveyor belt of consistency — from the sprint train to the support climbers — each turning opportunities into wins with ruthless efficiency. It was the complete team season: tactical clarity, internal harmony, and a staggering hit rate across terrains and continents.
The chase pack — and the stories behind them
While UAE’s supremacy was clear, the rest of the field reflected the variety that made 2025 so compelling.
XDS Astana Team finished a distant second in the vote with 41 ballots, recognition of their remarkable fightback from early-season relegation peril to WorldTour survival through pure determination.
Uno-X Mobility placed third with 32 votes, capping their first full WorldTour campaign with 23 victories and a breakthrough Tour de France stage — proof that belief and cohesion can rival the biggest budgets.
Team Visma | Lease a Bike and Lidl-Trek earned 22 and 20 votes respectively for their own standout seasons — Visma taking two Grand Tours and Lidl-Trek delivering consistency across Classics and points jerseys. Alpecin-Deceuninck, despite a quieter year numerically, were also shortlisted for their Monument-winning brilliance on the cobbles.
A dynasty still expanding
UAE’s 2025 campaign wasn’t just dominant — it was evolutionary. The integration of young talent alongside global superstars has created a structure built to last, while the arrival of new co-title sponsor XRG underlined the project’s growing commercial and sporting power.
For the second consecutive year, the team set the benchmark for success at every level of the men’s peloton — and based on the strength of their roster heading into 2026, that supremacy shows no sign of slowing.
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Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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