Matxin reveals Jhonatan Narváez to be UAE's last Giro d'Italia rider - "We should be able to make the start"
Cycling
UAE Team Emirates - XRG manager Joxean Matxin has provided an update on the health status of Ecuadorian national champion Jhonatan Narváez and has revealed that the classics specialist is the last missing piece in the team's Giro d'Italia lineup.
Narváez was the defending champion at the Tour Down Under and made the trip to Australia to start off the season in the familiar southern hemisphere. His form was undeniably great, with him matching teammate Jay Vine on the race-winning attack in the Corkscrew on stage 2.
The Emirati team had the race fully under control, but then crashes began taking a toll. Narváez crashed on stage 4 and suffered with compression fractures in the vertebrae. Vegard Stake Laengen and Mikkel Bjerg also crashed out of the race, and winner Jay Vine ended the race with a broken wrist after crashing into a kangaroo.
Narváez is set to miss out on Milano-Sanremo and the Tour of Flanders where he was set to be a key support rider for Tadej Pogacar. “I think — within the limits of my optimism — he should be able to make the start of the Giro d’Italia," the Spaniard said in words to Marca.
UAE's Giro lineup complete
This reveals the Ecuadorian as the missing piece. Back in early December, CyclingUpToDate was able to understand that the lineup included João Almeida, Adam Yates, Jay Vine, Igor Arrieta, Florian Vermeersch, Jan Christen and António Morgado. Matxin at the time stated he did not want to share the riders' schedule publicly. But only now comes the confirmation that it is Narváez the eighth man.
As to his return to the peloton, it will still take at the very least two months. “It was, and still is, a terrible situation in terms of the outlook. Jhonatan can’t take part in the cobbled Classics, and that was the plan," he adds. "Let’s first focus on whether he can make the Giro — that would already be perfect. But maybe he’ll also make the Ardennes Classics.”
After last year's incredible support at Sanremo, Criterium du Dauphiné and Tour de France, it is possible that Narváez will not be taken back in a domestique role, but instead have it at the Giro d'Italia, with freedom to also chase stage wins.
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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.
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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)...
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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- 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
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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