UAE's new Spanish talent on Tadej Pogacar: "I saw that he was a great person and I am very happy to be his partner"

UAE Team Emirates - XRG is a talent factory due to their unmatched financial resources, and one of the very few men coming in to the team in 2026 is Adrià Pericas. The 19-year old Spaniard is another bright talent, who is looking forward to race with Tadej Pogacar and the other stars who are now his teammates.

In an interview with the AS, the rider from Tona took stock of his first season with UAE's under-23 structure, defined himself as a rider, talked about the race he would love to ride next year, the departure of Juan Ayuso and, of course, Tadej Pogacar.

"I value 2025 as a very positive year, in which I learned many things and after which I will make the jump to the World Tour. From the beginning of the year everything went very smoothly and the decision to move up to the first team was consensual. We saw that I was ready, we sat down and decided. It's a big step, but I'm looking forward to it and I feel ready for it".

He raced with the elite team on several occasions, including the Vuelta a Murcia where he finished 9th despite being only 18 years old at the time and contesting with World Tour rivals; finished fifth at the Tour du Rwanda, second (with a stage win) at the Istrian Spring Tour, Top10's at the under-23 Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Giro d'Italia and World Championships road race. The writing is on the wall, Pericas can become one of the greats, but he also has a long road ahead to prove himself in a team full of sharks.

"I still don't know how to define myself exactly as a rider, but I like climbs and attacking cycling. I still have a lot to improve and I want to do it little by little, finding my place in the peloton. I'm very passionate about cycling and I enjoy the whole process we go through to compete and now I will do it in the best team in the world."

In his debut World Tour season he specially has the ambition of being part of his home race: "It would be special to be at the start of the Volta a Catalunya. It's my home race and I'm really looking forward to it".

On Juan Ayuso, with whom he didn't get to be teammates with, but are almost neighbours in Catalunya, he shared his opinion: "I think it will be positive for him, he needed a change of scenery. He is a good person and the little time I met him, he was very charming".

Pericas will also be teammates with Tadej Pogacar, whom he wants to help next year as a teammate. "In the little that I have been able to share with him I saw that he was a great person and I am very happy to be his partner. When I meet him I will try to help him as much as possible and, above all, try to learn. Recently, we had a training camp in Dubai and I shared a room with Marc Soler. The atmosphere is very good" .