Juan Ayuso & Adam Yates co-leaders with mountain support from Vine, Majka, Del Toro & McNulty - Joxean Matxin breaks down UAE's Giro d'Italia 2025 lineup

The first Grand Tour of the 2025 season is almost upon us, and although at time of writing, only the INEOS Grenadiers have officially confirmed their lineup for the Giro d'Italia, UAE Team Emirates - XRG boss Joxean Matxin has broken down what we can expect from his side Maglia Rosa challenge.

Similarly to the aforementioned INEOS, who have opted for a two-pronged GC attack with Egan Bernal and Thymen Arensman, UAE are also hedging their bets on co-leaders as Juan Ayuso and Adam Yates share the responsibilities of leadership in the team according to Matxin. In conversation with Mundo Deportivo, the UAE boss gave special attention to the hopes of the Spaniard Ayuso.

"I see Juan doing well. The planning and preparation are on the right track. His training camp in Sierra Nevada has shown promising indicators in terms of numbers, data, structure, and athletic planning — especially regarding those training blocks, both in general and in specific aspects," says Matxin. "We’ve made adjustments for active rest at altitude and activation work to prepare for such a major goal like the Giro."

As mentioned though, Ayuso isn't the only hope of the UAE team at the coming Grand Tour. "Yes, he’ll go in as co-leader with Adam Yates," Matxin explains. "We have a fantastic team, with four crucial riders supporting them: Jay Vine, Rafal Majka, Isaac del Toro, and Brandon McNulty — plus two cyclists who are brilliant and can execute perfectly, Filippo Baroncini and Igor Arrieta."

"We have a very strong and well-balanced squad, and I believe we can play a key role. I don’t know exactly at what level — especially because we don’t know the condition of our rivals — but we are arriving in good shape," concludes Matxin's preview. "Juan is in great form, Yates has improved a lot, Majka is riding very well, the whole team is performing, and the outlook is promising."