“It would be easy to get lost in his shadow” – Greg LeMond offers advice to American world champion Brandon McNulty alongside Tadej Pogacar
Cycling
Greg LeMond has urged Brandon McNulty to embrace life in the rainbow jersey, with the American cycling legend convinced his compatriot can continue flourishing alongside Tadej Pogacar at UAE Team Emirates - XRG rather than disappearing into the Slovenian's shadow.
More than four decades after becoming the first American to win the elite men's road race world title, LeMond watched McNulty join an exclusive club with his surprise victory in Montréal last month. The 28-year-old became only the third American man to claim the rainbow jersey, following LeMond's triumphs in 1983 and 1989 and Lance Armstrong's success in 1993.
McNulty ended that 33-year wait with a remarkable 33-kilometre solo attack, holding off Michael Matthews and Mathieu van der Poel to claim the biggest victory of his career. For LeMond, himself a three-time Tour de France winner, the performance was further evidence of an exceptional talent.
“He won an incredibly impressive race. He's a genuinely great talent and he's proved that he's a truly exceptional rider,” LeMond told L'Équipe.
Having experienced the demands that come with becoming world champion himself, LeMond believes McNulty should approach his new status without allowing expectations to become a burden. “I don't think there will be any pressure on him,” he said. “He just needs to enjoy wearing the jersey. It's an incredible thing to have.”
McNulty in the Rainbow Jersey for UAE
Finding success in Pogacar's shadow
McNulty's world title was his first victory of 2026, a campaign in which he had spent much of his time working towards UAE's collective ambitions rather than pursuing individual success.
Yet the American arrived in Montréal with an already impressive palmarès. He had won stages at both the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España, claimed overall victories at the Tour de Pologne and Tour de Luxembourg, and taken the 2025 Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal.
“People might have been surprised by his world title, but he already had a strong CV, especially when you consider that he mainly works as a domestique for Tadej,” LeMond said.
Since joining UAE in 2020, McNulty has established himself as one of Pogacar's trusted teammates, contributing to major successes including the Slovenian's 2021 Tour de France victory and Milan-San Remo triumph earlier this year.
That position has never prevented him from winning in his own right, although LeMond recognises the difficulty of standing out in a squad dominated by arguably the greatest rider of his generation.
“It would be easy to get lost in his shadow, but Brandon has already proved he can win races himself,” LeMond continued. “That situation works for him. The team also gives him a certain level of security, and he'll take all of this in and grow in confidence.”
McNulty had already committed his long-term future to that arrangement before becoming world champion. In April, he extended his UAE contract until the end of 2030, having found a balance between his individual ambitions and the responsibilities that come with riding for Pogacar.
His first weeks in the rainbow jersey have brought further evidence of both sides of his role. McNulty finished second at Coppa Agostoni and fifth at Il Lombardia before helping drive UAE's efforts at the Giro del Veneto, where Benoît Cosnefroy eventually finished third.
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LeMond makes bold claim about American cycling's new generation
Beyond McNulty's individual triumph, LeMond believes American cycling is enjoying its strongest generation of riders in history.
The depth of the current generation was evident in Montréal. Quinn Simmons finished fourth and Matteo Jorgenson eighth, completing an American performance that saw three riders inside the top ten of the men's road race.
McNulty's success also provided a reminder of how much the sport's position in the United States has changed since LeMond first pulled on the rainbow jersey in 1983. “I used to tell people I worked in sports marketing because they had no idea what a professional cyclist was,” LeMond recalled with a laugh.
LeMond would go on to become the first American to win the Tour de France in 1986, before adding further yellow jerseys in 1989 and 1990. McNulty, meanwhile, has built his career in a WorldTour peloton where American riders are firmly established and opportunities to compete at the highest level extend well beyond the country's traditional cycling heartlands.
With his future secured at UAE until 2030, McNulty now faces the unusual prospect of returning to racing alongside Pogacar wearing the rainbow jersey that the Slovenian himself had held for the previous two seasons. The world title has changed the American's standing in the sport, even if the responsibilities awaiting him within his team remain largely familiar.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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