"I know I can be much better than what I showed last year": UAE's rising star sees plenty of room for improvement in 2026

After emerging as one of the revelations of the 2024 season, Antonio Morgado endured a far more difficult 2025 season. Despite a solid start of the season, he faded away in the spring and never recovered his top shape throughout the year.

Expectations were high for 2025, but the Portuguese rider failed to fulfill them. Morgado himself acknowledges it. “2025 was a bad year. It was not at all what I expected,” he said in an interview to Sporza.

Even if he managed to get three wins the whole season (Gran Premio Castellón, Figueira Champions Classic and Portugal's time trial national championships), he wasn't rewarded with a Grand Tour appearance, and he had to do domestique work for most of the year.

The spring campaign, which had started on a positive note, was disrupted early by illness. “After Omloop and Trofeo Laigueglia, I got sick for the first time. I stayed off the bike for eight days,” he explained. “After that, it was very difficult to get back into shape.”

Those health issues were recurring, hindering his recovery. “After the Portuguese time trial championships, I suddenly felt very bad. I couldn’t see properly with one eye,.”

And the problem was revealed to be more serious than initially expected. “Whenever I made an effort, everything started spinning. Tests showed I had loose ear crystals. That caused problems for about a month and a half.” In addition to that, Morgado caught Covid-19 during the summer.

Looking ahead to 2026, Morgado’s objective is clear. “To become a better rider. I know I can be much better than what I showed last year,” he said. “Whether I win one, two or four races doesn’t matter that much.”

The Belgian classics are one of his main ambitions. “Last season I was very bad at positioning in the Flemish races,” Morgado acknowledged. “Whenever the favourites went, I had to chase from the back.”

His solution is a mental shift. “You have to be a little crazy to fight for your place at the front,” he said. “I’m too kind in all the pushing and shoving. In those moments, you can’t think about anyone else. I need to change my mindset.”

Flemish races have become his favourite races, but why is that? There are two main reasons. "They are races where endurance is very important, and you have to keep fighting all the time. I like that. On the other hand, I love the Flemish fans. When they encourage me on the climbs, they often call me Molano," he laughed. "I know we look alike, but we’re not the same."

In 2026, Morgado is scheduled to ride a handful of Belgian classics, including Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Dwars door Vlaanderen and the Tour of Flanders. And the team has granted him leader status in some of the races. "In the major classics, I'll have to help the leaders. But in the smaller classics, I'll have a free role."

After the classics season is over, Morgado will make his Grand Tour debut. “I will ride the Giro,” Morgado confirmed. “It’s my ambition to be in good shape there and support our leader Joao Almeida. I also want to show that I’ve become a better climber.”