João Almeida leads UAE Team Emirates at Giro d'Italia, Vine and McNulty second cards in strong lineup
Cycling
UAE Team Emirates have enough cards to have big aspirations for all Grand Tours and they show it. The Giro d'Italia sees a strong group of riders led by João Almeida but possibly focusing as much on stage wins.
The Portuguese rider has finished fourth and sixth in his two participations at the Giro where he reached the finish, whilst last year he sit fourth when he abandoned with Covid-19. He's back for revenge this year, having already finished second at Tirreno-Adriatico and third at the Volta a Catalunya. There he finished behind Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel, who are expected to be the main favourites here.
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Behind him will be Jay Vine and Brandon McNulty, both riders who could contest for the overall classification, ride as domestiques for Almeida or chase stage wins depending on how the race plays out. It makes for a strong climbing block that can definitely thrive in the final two weeks of the race. Pascal Ackermann comes in in order to target the sprints, whilst Ryan Gibbons should be supporting him and Almeida simultaneously in the flat stages.
The lineup is completed by three puncheurs who should be chasing stage wins as was the case last year. On that occasion Alessandro Covi won the queen stage to Passo Fedaia and he returns in hunt for more success, and he's joined by compatriots Davide Formolo and Diego Ulissi.
UAE Team Emirates for Giro d'Italia:
João Almeida, Pascal Ackermann, Alessandro Covi, Ryan Gibbons, Davide Formolo, Brandon McNulty, Diego Ulissi and Jay Vine.
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- big rival … ridiculous.Ketterechts07-11-2026
- It would be great if the World Champion's jersey could be rotated among McNulty, Simmons, and Jorgenson. They threaded the needle perfectly. If each hadn't done exactly what he did, exactly when he did it, the race would have gone to one of the more heralded superstars. That said, how nice that this humble and hardworking guy gets his moment in the sun.
MarkFour07-11-2026 - This is a really interesting idea, which, if well prepared could even be very successful. Very little money needs to be involved for a first season and any success could lead to rapid interest from sponsors.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Hmmm, you seem to have a very convenient black and white view of things. Perhaps you haven’t been around much to discover how complex problems can become over time with people who know how to control, manipulate (or worse) others so gradually or subtly that you arrive at an irresolvable situation before you realise. This is how many inconveniences get introduced to the young, naïve, passionate or “desperate”, knowing they are not armed, protected or strong enough to defend themselves once it’s too late. Why do you think omerta culture is so widespread, why do you think so many people continue to go through so many awful things in life that others can’t understand anyone getting into? Life may be far more jolly for you but you would do well to understand (or reflect more on) the real world to refrain from being so quick to criticise those in a hard spot that may have genuine reason for speaking out.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Seriously do you think when somebody gets into a serious accident, the ambulance is called by the hurt person?🤦 there is always a buddy system in place for a risky job. police , firefighters etc so that if someone gets hurt, the other call that in.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
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Ready to fight for the Maglia Rosa💪. Here‘s our lineup for the @giroditalia 🇮🇹: 🇩🇪 @Ackes171 🇵🇹 @JooAlmeida98 🇮🇹 @AlessandroCovi 🇮🇹 @davideformolo 🇿🇦 @RyanGibbons23 🇺🇸 @BrandonMcNult 🇮🇹 @DiegoUlissi 🇦🇺 @JayVine3 #UAETeamEmirates #WeAreUAE #Giro
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