CyclingUpToDate Awards: UAE Team Emirates crowned Team of the Year after dominant 2025 season

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.

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.

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.

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.