No Almeida, no problem? Adam Yates leads UAE Team Emirates' Maglia Rosa charge at the 2026 Giro d'Italia as he looks to follow in brother Simon's footsteps
Cycling
UAE Team Emirates - XRG have confirmed their lineup for the 2026 Giro d’Italia, with Adam Yates stepping into the role of team leader following the late withdrawal of Joao Almeida.
Almeida had been widely expected to spearhead the Emirati squad’s general classification ambitions, but his absence forces a reset in approach. Rather than arriving with a clearly defined GC hierarchy, UAE instead bring a more flexible setup built around Yates, supported by a mix of proven Grand Tour experience and emerging talent.
Yates handed leadership opportunity
Yates comes into the race in strong condition, having won the general classification at O Gran Camiño earlier this season, and now has the chance to lead UAE at the Giro for the first time in several years.
“Not having João Almeida will change our strategy slightly, but we still have big ambitions and still want to go for results,” Yates said ahead of the race. “Personally, I feel like the shape is good and if things go our way we can have a good crack at the GC and animate the race.”
That wording reflects the shift in tone. UAE are not framing themselves as the outright team to beat, but they are clearly not stepping back either. Yates’ consistency across three weeks, combined with his experience as a former Tour de France podium finisher, gives the team a credible route into the Maglia Rosa battle.
Depth and versatility in support
Around Yates, UAE have assembled a lineup that offers options across different terrains rather than focusing solely on GC support. Jhonatan Narvaez brings proven Giro pedigree, including a stage win and time in the Maglia Rosa, making him a clear stage-hunting threat. Marc Soler adds further experience and attacking intent, while Mikkel Bjerg offers strength against the clock and on flat terrain.
Igor Arrieta returns after playing a key support role in last year’s race, and there is added intrigue in the inclusion of Grand Tour debutants Jan Christen and Antonio Morgado, both of whom have already shown a willingness to race aggressively in their short professional careers.
Adam Yates' brother Simon won the Giro in 2025
Strong recent Giro pedigree
Despite the late change in leadership, UAE arrive with one of the strongest recent records in the race. The team have finished on the podium in each of the last three editions, with Tadej Pogacar winning the 2024 Giro d’Italia, Almeida finishing third in 2023, and Isaac Del Toro taking second overall in 2025.
That consistency underlines the team’s ability to remain competitive even when plans change, and provides context for their continued ambition in 2026.
Without Almeida, the Giro presents a different type of challenge for UAE. Rather than building around a single, clearly defined GC contender, they enter the race with a leader in Yates and a supporting cast capable of influencing the race in multiple ways.
Whether that approach proves enough to challenge the likes of Jonas Vingegaard remains to be seen, but the intent is clear. UAE may not arrive in their expected form, but they are not arriving to sit back.
Read also
UAE Team Emirates - XRG for the 2026 Giro d'Italia:
| Rider |
| Adam Yates |
| Igor Arrieta |
| Mikkel Bjerg |
| Jhonatan Narvaez |
| Marc Soler |
| Jan Christen |
| Antonio Morgado |
| Jay Vine |
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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- 18 broken bones. 78 crashes, among 30 rider per year is a lot. so for a rider over 15 seasons, they will break their bones 7-8 times and crash 38 times.abstractengineer04-11-2026
- i dont think he is ready ot win against the top 2 or the 2nd rung of evenepoel, del toro , Almeida. In the third week in the TDF he was very very defensive, no attacks. i think he was exhausted. right now he needs time not the brutal Giro or the intense TDF.abstractengineer04-11-2026
- Rota is an excellent rider to get in a break with because he always does his turnchapmanesque04-11-2026
- That 3000 extra that the Tour de France is built up in the flat stages
Rafionain-Glas04-11-2026 - maybe this is something else they can protest in the streets of France.mij04-11-2026
- his Roubaix win was amazing. not to take anything away from him - arguably one of MVDP's wins was at the expense of a WVA flat - but so many things need to line up to get one of these. He had a perfect race with fewer bike issues on an attritional course. And crazy strong as usual. Glad he got this done.mij04-11-2026
- Orts was a super smart signing with the new rules regarding cross and UCI pointsmij04-11-2026
- yeah... you're right...PogiSloFans04-11-2026
- Podcast sounds great. Two so called experts stating the f*cking obvious.wrsty04-11-2026
- A mindset that reminds me of Tim Declerq. I loved watching that guy just pound away the kilometers, hours at the front, holding an entire breakaway in check on his own. Bjerg seems like a similar guy. Curling, the team sport.RidesHills04-11-2026
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