“Next season? Maybe a strong ride in the Classics” – UAE prodigy targets breakthrough 2026 after standout showings from Santiago to Singapore
Cycling
For most riders, the off-season means rest. For Davide Stella, it means one final race, another flight, and a notebook full of lessons from an eleven-month campaign that has carried him across four continents.
The 19-year-old from Friuli, Italy, who began his year at the Al Salam Championship in the United Arab Emirates, will close his 2025 season at the Ghent Six Day later this month. Between those dates, the UAE Team Emirates - XRG Gen Z talent collected early victories in Sharjah and Alentejo, pulled on a WorldTour jersey for the first time, and even lined up at the Track World Championships in Santiago de Chile.
“The Worlds were a fantastic experience, and I feel very lucky to have taken part — it’s not something every rider gets to do in their first year as an Under-23,” Stella told Tutto Bici Web. “In one of the fastest Madisons ever, Sierra and I gave everything we had. Considering we were the youngest pair on the start line, we got the most we could out of it.”
After that performance — 11th place and a lap gained in the early stages — Stella flew directly from South America to Asia for the Tour de France criteriums in Singapore and Saitama, where he finished sixth behind household names such as Milan, Philipsen and Girmay. “It was a bit tiring travelling straight from Chile to Singapore, but I’m happy with the choice I made,” he admitted.
Eyes on a bigger role in 2026
That exhausting itinerary will end with the Ghent Six Day, before a short break and an early start to UAE’s 2026 training camps. For Stella, the coming year represents the moment to bridge the gap between the development ranks and a more consistent presence in the senior team.
“Overall, I can’t complain about 2025,” he reflected. “It was my first year among the Under-23s and I already got to experience racing with the WorldTour team. I hope to keep progressing and next season maybe deliver a strong ride in a Classic and win a few more races.”
Whether it’s on the boards or in the spring Classics, Stella’s 2025 campaign has laid the foundation for a decisive leap forward. Eleven months of travel, learning and perseverance have made him one of Italy’s brightest young prospects — and if all goes to plan, 2026 will be the year he begins to show it in the colours of UAE Team Emirates.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- 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
- 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
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