Joxean Matxín's move to keep UAE dominating world cycling: "I have invented a U21 category"

One of stories with the biggest potential ramifications from the current off-season has arrived this Wednesday, with the official announcement of Joxean Matxín's renewal with UAE Team Emirates until 2028.

Matxín is one of the fundamental pillars of the UAE team, and a key part of the process that has led them to be the undisputed best team in the world. After making his renewal with UAE official, the Spaniard gave an interview to AS, where, among other things, he revealed a new masterstroke to boost the talent of his riders for the future.

"We're going to be 29 riders almost for sure," Matxín began by saying when asked if UAE Team Emirates was going to finish filling the 30 gaps in its squad, currently at 28. "We didn't get to 30 because I want to give more chances to Gen Z (UAE Development Team). In World Tour races they can't race, but in the rest they can. For 2025 I have invented a U21 category, with 4 riders born between 2005 and 2006. This way we will give more meaning to Gen Z."

Matxín is aware of the importance of UAE Team Emirates Gen Z. After all, that's where Pablo Torres has come from. The great hope for the future of Spanish cycling earned a contract with the main team until 2030 after a Tour de l'Avenir 2024 where he took 2 stage wins, and almost took the overall classification with an epic comeback.

Regarding the 29th rider of the UAE Team Emirates squad for the 2025 season, Matxín assures that the profile has already been decided: "We will have an addition who will be a rider to pull the cart, to put 150 or 180 kilometers in front of the peloton, work and keep the group under control".

This signing will be made basically to be able to pull the peloton when UAE is not interested in the pace in the main group being too slow, and the races need to be toughened up.