OFFICIAL: Adam Yates and Juan Ayuso lead UAE at Giro d'Italia; João Almeida backs Tadej Pogacar at Tour de France

UAE Team Emirates have a team absolutely packed with world class GC riders and it is a difficult task to split Grand Tours between them, in a way to keep everyone happy. Tadej Pogacar will race the Tour de France; but we have learnt from Joxean Matxin who will learn the team at the Giro d'Italia.

At a press conference, Matxin has confirmed that the Giro d'Italia will see a co-leadership between Juan Ayuso and Adam Yates. The Spanish manager has confirmed that the Giro will be Ayuso's sole Grand Tour, after he has raced the Tour de France this year - abandoning with Covid-19 - and the Vuelta a España on two occasions.

The Spaniard will be joined by Adam Yates, who has been a high-profile domestique for Pogacar in the past two editions of the Tour de France. In 2023 the Briton won the first stage and put on the yellow jersey before finishing on the podium in Paris. He was the winner of the Tour de Suisse this year and will get the chance to lead the team at a Grand Tour for the first time with the team. He will race the Tour de France after the Giro.

João Almeida in the meantime has been confirmed to race the Tour de France in support of Tadej Pogacar, with the Vuelta a España also likely in his schedule. This virtually mimics his schedule of the 2024 season where he was fourth at the Grand Boucle but later abandoned the Vuelta a España after becoming ill.

There is no team decided yet for Milano-Sanremo, but amongst other topics it has been confirmed that the young Spanish talent Pablo Torres will be starting his 2025 season at the Tour Down Under and will not be racing a Grand Tour in his neo-pro year.