"Improving their FTP doesn't necessarily mean they ride faster": UAE Gen Z coach emphasizes the extra layers of work with young talents

The UAE Team Emirates - XRG have been in the spotlight more often than any other team in 2025, winning 97 professional races, enough to comfortably break the previous records. But a bit away from the main ruckus, the team is also working on development of its next generation of stars within the "Gen Z" structure. Already last year, we have seen the climbing supertalent Pablo Torres promoted to the main team and for 2026, he'll be followed by compatriot Adria Pericas.

And when we look at the accomplishments of some of the riders of 2026 lineup of Gen Z, it's clear that the likes of Mateo Ramírez, Luca Giaimi or Davide Stella have a bright future ahead of them. But it's not only about polishing rough diamonds for the Gen Z staff as there are multiple layers to each rider that need to be uncovered gradually, step by step.

"Generally speaking, although I'm a trainer and therefore used to working a lot with numbers, acronyms, and data, when I do these debriefings I talk a lot," Giacomo Notari, the head coach of UAE Gen Z tells bici.pro about his work at the pre-season training camp where new batch of riders mixes with the staying members of the team.

His approach is different with the new arrivees and "old" riders. For the latter, the focus is on further improving of their abilities. "I try to understand what they expect from themselves, what they think they did well, and where they feel they need to improve. Not what they did wrong, but where they believe they can improve."

"With new riders, I try to understand what kind of riders they think they are, to get an idea. Afterward, having the data, you can understand something, but it's also important to know their self-image, because they're still in a phase where things can change."

What Notari emphesizes is that cycling is not just a simple contest of whoever can put out the best power values in a race. Yes, sometimes it can be so, but racing instinct, tactics and other qualities also come into the play more than often.

"I model it more like a dialogue, even a psychological one: we focus on the numbers, but in a race, the one with the highest wattage doesn't (always) win. Since it's a situational sport, knowing how to stay on the wheel, taking position, reading the race, and understanding when the right moment is important."

But you can afford to put aside a bit of thinking and add more ciclismo to your repertoir when you can push values such as the likes of Tadej Pogacar. "Then, of course, you also look at the numbers a little. Of course, but improving their FTP doesn't necessarily mean they rode faster than the previous year."

"The best performances tend to occur when they're fresh, while in a race, winning moves come from fatigue," he points out. "That is why we sometimes do tests under fatigue. My goal is to improve durability: to arrive less tired at the end."