Cycling market: UAE Team Emirates has been one of the teams that has sounded that Nairo Quintana could end up riding in the WorldTour this season, but one of its leaders, Joxean Fernández Matxín, has ruled it out.
Within the ranks of the United Arab Emirates team there are two Colombian riders, Juan Sebastián Molano and Álvaro Hodeg. They could have been joined by Nairo Quintana, but the team decided not to include him in their plans.
Matxín, sports director of UAE Tean Emirates, made this known by highlighting the quality and trajectory of Nairo in world cycling: "The quality he possesses is indisputable," he said in an interview with the Ciclismo Colombiano portal.
However, he assured that Nairo was never considered to compete in races like the next Tour de France: "At no time have we raised that option with him. We have had no conversations about it, since we even have ten riders for eight places. It would not be fair to have an external rider and leave out several who have been training with us," said 'Matxín.
In this way, another World Tour team closes the doors to Nairo Quintana, who still does not compete after his controversial departure from Arkea Samsic. However, it is not ruled out the possibility that the talented cyclist born in Cómbita could soon return to the major cycling competitions.
On the other hand, UAE Emirates is one of the big favorites for the 2023 Tour de France, with its main card, Tadej Pogacar, aiming to wear the yellow jersey again after winning in 2020 and 2021.
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The Emirati team has shown significant growth in recent years and has a solid structure to support its riders. In addition to Pogacar, they have a group of talented cyclists who will be looking to put in a strong performance at the prestigious French race.
UAE Emirates has positioned itself as a team to be reckoned with in the international peloton, and its participation in the Tour de France will generate high expectations among cycling fans. Undoubtedly, we will be watching their performance and the possible reappearance of Nairo Quintana in the competitive scene.
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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.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
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)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- So far, a good series about riders before my time, even if the text feels AI generated like so much on this site. About the rider, he seems like one of many who are active fan favorites but don’t survive in the stories of cycling, a few decades later - I didn’t really know anything about him and this was a good read, thank you!RidesHills15-11-2026
- A calm, honest documentary, a bit of hagiography but mostly not too much. When he talks about a coffee shop, it aligns with several things in his world - he might want calm, but he does (more than a little bit) have someone near him (his fiancee) who makes sure that things happen the way he expects. Many atheletes have retired only to find out just how much others were taking care of their lives for them. If they work out (I'm old, things happen), I am sure it will take a renegotiation, which is a good thing. I truly enjoyed watching it, seeing him, seeing her, seeing the whole system built around him.RidesHills15-11-2026
- You do? My mother grew up around Bleiburg (Pliberk), across the border in Austria . My grandparents lived close to the train station in Bleiburg, and I spent a lot of the 70s and 80s there. The "Jugo" train of my youth went to Dravograd or Maribor, exotic places (behind the wall) at the time. What a moment that was, the 10 days war of '91 - times sure have changed.RidesHills15-11-2026
- I hope he rides a bitmij15-11-2026
- Greatest athlete this world has ever produced ! LOL ... you definitely are a comdian ! Cycling is so sprecialized and you think he's the greatest athlete ever ! Still laughing !frieders315-11-2026
- b.s. headline. Jonas wasn't told anything, it is just a pundit telling him what to do. the actual article is not even close to the insinuation of the headline.mij15-11-2026
- I think Roglic could have beaten Sepp. not Jonas. I was referring to Sepp.mij15-11-2026
- I'm deeply sick of this guy and his unwillingness to race seriously for more than a month or two. I'll never respect riders who do that. Seixas will be stronger than him next season, and maybe Del Toro as well. I don't even think he'll finish on the podium at any GT where Pogi, Seixas, and Del Toro are racing.megasmacky15-11-2026
- Not a chance in hell.megasmacky15-11-2026
- If you go watch some races from last season other riders that have never caught Jonas...are now catching him. Some are just riding away from him and he can't hold the wheelmd197514-11-2026
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Favoritos al Maillot Camuflaje 2023: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Nairo Quintana ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Chris Froome ⭐⭐⭐ Giani Moscon
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