"I don't yet know exactly what type of rider I am" - António Morgado looking to discover himself in neo-pro season

António Morgado was runner-up at the Junior and under-23 World Championships over the past two seasons. Enormously talented and versatile, the Portuguese all-rounder is still trying to understand where his strengths will lie now as a World Tour rider.

"I want to learn how to race with big riders, big engines, and be useful to the team. I'm not nervous about this year. I will do whatever the team wants," Morgado said in an interview with Cyclism'Actu. Choosing the Emirati team seemed to be the logic choice as Joxean Matxín has already detailed the close relationships with the 19-year old, and the team hosts several compatriots.

Morgado, a rising star in Portugal but also in the international peloton, had in mind starting the 2024 Vuelta a España which returns to the Iberic nation many years later. However, the team will fill the spots with other big riders. "Not in the La Vuelta peloton this year! But I will be at the side of the road to watch the race go by. It’s going to be huge for cycling in Portugal," he tells.

"I think my strong point is downhill. And I really like it. As for the rest, I don't yet know exactly what type of rider I am," Morgado admits. "I think I'm a climber but not a pure climber. I want to be a rider who can do anything. I was sick last year at the Giro NextGen and the Giro delle Valle d’Aosta, so I helped my team who needed it. At the Tour de l’Avenir, I was in good shape but it was very hard. I didn't make good progress as a climber last year."