"They had Chris Froome and Egan Bernal" - Jhonatan Narváez on how learning from the best at INEOS has set him up for UAE success

After being one of the standout riders for the INEOS Grenadiers in 2024, Jhonatan Narváez starts 2025 with a new challenge and a new team as part of UAE Team Emirates - XRG. Having been with INEOS since 2019 though, it's clear the Ecuadorian learned a lot during his time there.

“I think it was part of the school of INEOS,” reflects Narváez in a press release via the official UAE Team Emirates website. “With many things, they had a certain way of doing things and I learned to be disciplined as both a rider and as a person. This pattern has followed me throughout my career and made me the rider I am now.

Despite being only 27, Narváez has spent time at both Quick-Step and INEOS in his career to date. As such, the Ecuadorian now believes he's set up perfectly for the most successful period of his career at UAE Team Emirates - XRG. “When I joined Quick-Step, they were the best Classics team of their generation and when I joined Team Sky, it was a time when they had Chris Froome and Egan Bernal," he recalls. "It has always been my way to watch these guys and learn the positive traits that can make me a more professional rider.”

“It feels really nice because it is the best team in the world and when you have this offer, you don’t think too much” adds Narváez. “If they are the best team in the world for two years, it means the team is certainly doing something right.”

“If I look 10 years ago when I was a kid, I just said that my dream was to ride in the World Tour, but now that I am riding for the best team in the world, I am proud of what I am doing. Of course, victories will hopefully come in the future, but for now, I am just so happy to be part of the team,” he concludes.