“Not very human” — UAE under fire from rival for cannibalistic dominance over peloton

In a season where UAE Team Emirates - XRG have shattered records, rewritten norms, and won with almost mechanical consistency, the team’s dominance is no longer simply a sporting marvel — it’s becoming a flashpoint for debate.

The latest critique comes from Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana Team), who finished fourth at the Trofeo Tessile & Moda in Piemonte on Sunday. After watching Adam Yates take the win and teammate Jay Vine shut down the final podium spot, Scaroni offered a candid and pointed reflection on what it’s like racing in the shadow of a juggernaut.

“When they told me they also wanted the podium, I honestly thought it was a not very human decision,” Scaroni told the media post-race. “If you’ve already won the race, I don’t see why you’d take away that bit of light from a team like Burgos, or from us.”

The comments, delivered with evident frustration but also a level-headed sense of realism, tap into a wider unease that has settled over the men’s World Tour peloton: when one team takes everything, what’s left for the rest?

UAE’s 2025 season has gone beyond dominance — it’s veered into near-total control. With 94 victories and counting, the team has eclipsed the long-standing mark of 85 wins in a single season, set by HTC‑Columbia in 2009. That milestone fell in September, when Brandon McNulty’s overall triumph at the Tour of Luxembourg became UAE’s 86th win.

Since then, they’ve continued piling on victories with ruthless efficiency, winning Grand Tour stages, one-day classics, and late-season Italian races like Sunday’s Trofeo Tessile & Moda — often with multiple riders in the decisive moves.

“They began attacking from every side,” Scaroni said. “When Yates and Mathys Rondel went, I wasn’t sharp enough to follow. Chumil and I tried to keep a rhythm, thinking more about the podium than about catching Yates.”

In the closing kilometres, Scaroni says he asked UAE riders if they would allow the chasing group to contest third place. The answer was no. “I asked if they could leave us the podium, but they also wanted the third spot. When I tried to get closer to Vine, Pavel Sivakov was always on my wheel. In the end, if they’re that strong, there’s nothing you can do.”

To be clear, Scaroni didn’t challenge UAE’s right to win, or question their professionalism. His comments were shaded more in resignation than accusation. But the subtext was clear: when even minor glimmers of success — like a third place — are hoovered up by the sport’s superteam, frustration is inevitable. “A podium would have given our team some visibility,” Scaroni added. “Today, they were simply better. We take this fourth place and look ahead to the next two races.”

Scaroni’s phrase — “not very human” — is likely to linger. It’s not a critique of rule-breaking or unsporting behaviour, but rather of a culture where winning is not just the objective, but an all-consuming mission. In a year when 20 of UAE’s 29 riders have won races, and the likes of Tadej Pogacar, Isaac del Toro, João Almeida, and now Yates and Vine have taken turns leading the charge, the sheer breadth of strength has left little air for others.

To his credit, Scaroni ended his remarks with a balanced perspective. “In the end, it’s their choice. Whether you agree or not, everyone races their own way, and they did what was asked of them. That’s fine.”

For UAE, it’s more than fine — it’s history in motion. For the rest of the peloton, though, the question is whether that history is also becoming a stranglehold.