Isaac del Toro & Adam Yates combine as UAE Team Emirates go all-out for "home race" UAE Tour 2026

For UAE Team Emirates - XRG, the UAE Tour has never been about novelty. It is about expectation.

Three overall victories, ten stage wins, and years of dominance on home roads mean that when the Emirati squad unveil their lineup for the race, it is less a participation announcement and more a statement of intent.

In 2026, that intent is built around balance: emerging leadership, proven winners, and a support unit that knows exactly what is required in this race.

At the centre of that approach is Isaac del Toro, handed responsibility for the UAE Tour for the first time alongside former overall winner Adam Yates.

Del Toro’s selection is telling. The Mexican arrives at the race as one of the breakout riders of 2025 and as the national champion in both the road race and time trial. For UAE Team Emirates – XRG, placing him at the forefront on home soil signals confidence rather than caution.

“I’m really excited to line up for my first UAE Tour,” Del Toro said. “It’s a special race for me, not only because it’s my debut, but because it’s a home race for the team, and you really feel that sense of pride and responsibility.”

Rather than easing him in, UAE have positioned Del Toro as a genuine option from the outset. Preparation has reflected that. “I’ve spent some time reconning some of the main stages, getting familiar with the roads and the key moments, and that’s given me a lot of confidence,” he explained.

Crucially, Del Toro’s language points to ambition without isolation. “The level here will be very high, with some of the best riders in the world on the start line, but we’ve prepared really well as a group, and we’re ready to give our best and race aggressively.”

Alongside Del Toro stands Adam Yates, whose history at the race provides immediate reference points. Winner of the 2020 edition, Yates returns for his sixth UAE Tour appearance, bringing experience on the decisive climbs and an understanding of how the race unfolds.

Sprint opportunities, meanwhile, will be led by Sebastian Molano, who arrives in form after opening his 2026 account at the Tour of Oman. His inclusion ensures UAE are not reliant on a single narrative across the week.

Del Toro acknowledged that depth directly. “I hope for a good performance, but we also have the class and experience of someone like Yates and then Molano for the sprints, so we have lots of options,” he said.

That optionality is central to how UAE approach their home race.

Behind the headline names sits a support unit that reflects continuity rather than experimentation. Rune Herregodts, Nils Politt, Kevin Vermaerke, and Florian Vermeersch complete the seven-man lineup.

Both Vermeersch and Herregodts were part of the squad that helped deliver UAE another overall victory at the race last season, offering familiarity with the demands of controlling the UAE Tour’s specific terrain and conditions. Vermaerke’s inclusion continues his integration into the UAE system, while Politt adds experience and authority on the flatter days.

From the team car, Andrej Hauptman, Marco Marzano and Yousif Mirza will oversee a group that has been assembled with clear roles in mind rather than open-ended freedom.