OPINION | UAE Team Emirates – XRG are overlooking Adam Yates

We’re only two days into the 2025 Giro d’Italia, and already the race has delivered action and drama. Mads Pedersen edged out Wout van Aert for the pink jersey on stage 1, and then Josh Tarling stunned Primoz Roglic in the stage 2 time trial. Stage 3 looks set to suit the puncheurs once again, with another reduced bunch sprint likely.

But one thing we haven’t seen so far, a rarity in 2025, is a win for UAE Team Emirates – XRG.

Yes, the team that has already racked up 37 victories this season has been quiet so far. It’s a stark contrast to 12 months ago, when they completely dominated the Giro, with Tadej Pogacar winning six stages and claiming the maglia rosa by nearly 10 minutes. Pogacar was third on the opening stage in 2024, and then won stage 2 and took the pink jersey, never relinquishing it again.

This year, they’ve brought another powerful squad, co-led (at least on paper) by Juan Ayuso and Adam Yates. But let’s be honest: everyone knows Ayuso is being treated as the outright leader.

And already, that decision is beginning to raise eyebrows.

There’s no doubt Ayuso is a generational talent. The 22-year-old won Tirreno-Adriatico earlier this year and was runner-up to Roglic at the Volta a Catalunya. He’s widely seen as the Slovenian’s main rival for this Giro.

But are UAE underestimating Adam Yates?

Ayuso currently sits 5th overall, 16 seconds behind Roglic after a solid time trial where he finished 10th. That’s a respectable start, but Roglic has looked sharp and assured, and he is a proven winner. Yates, by contrast, is 14th overall, 36 seconds behind the race favourite.

There’s been plenty of discussion in the media about UAE’s racing dynamic without Pogacar. Pundits Spencer Martin and Johan Bruyneel were especially critical after a nervous and dangerous stage 1, noting how Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe were united around Roglic while UAE looked disorganised.

“Red Bull was very attentive with Roglic at the end of the race,” said Bruyneel on The Move. “The ones we didn't see at the front was UAE. When Pogacar is not in the race, they are scattered all over the place. Lucky for Juan Ayuso who navigated well on the climb and the stage finish, because there was going to be no one with him.”

It’s no slight on Ayuso to say he isn’t yet the commanding leader that Pogacar is, few if any ever have been. But it does raise the question: are we writing off Adam Yates far too soon?

Since joining UAE in 2023, Yates has consistently delivered when it matters, often while playing a supporting role for Pogacar. He wore the yellow jersey after stage 1 of the 2023 Tour de France and ended that race third overall, just one place behind his teammate.

In 2024, he won the Tour de Suisse and finished sixth at the Tour de France, again riding selflessly for Pogacar, who crushed the competition.

In 2025, Ayuso’s early-season form has clearly been stronger, there’s no doubt about that. He won Tirreno-Adriatico while Yates finished 16th; at Catalunya, Ayuso came second while Yates laboured to 32nd. But we all know Yates saves his best for the Grand Tours.

He’s experienced, resilient, and tactically smart. He’s not a rider who needs fireworks in week one to make his presence felt in the mountains of week three. So while Ayuso may be the team’s chosen leader for now, don’t be surprised if the road ends up elevating Adam Yates.

The Giro is long, and so far, UAE Team Emirates – XRG have remained quiet. But if the past two years are any guide, Adam Yates will not stay quiet for long.