"To reach 100?" Can UAE not only make history but set new benchmark for number of wins in 2025?

UAE Team Emirates - XRG is set to beat HTC's victory record in a season of 85, as they enter the final week of the Vuelta a Espana with 81 already in the bank. At the Spanish Grand Tour and outside of it, the Emirati continues to bring in victories and it is only a matter of time before they make cycling history after decade and a half.

"We made a structured analysis of this Vuelta and we knew that many stages were going to be resolved in breakaways without affecting the overall," Joxean Fernández Matxin explained to AS. The team has won 7 out of 15 stages, and is within a shot of winning more. But that is not its priority, which has now changed to João Almeida's potential overall victory. However, that magic '85' number lays in the back of the head of the Spanish manager.

"The record number of victories in a season? Yes, I see it as feasible. Just as in other interviews I tend to be more conservative, in this case, when you have 81 and you see that in 2024 after La Vuelta you added 13 and without being a great end of the year, it gives me the conviction that, with the planning we have configured for what is left, it is ideal to add those five and achieve the record," he says.

Tadej Pogacar has taken 16 already this year and with the World Championships and Italian Autumn classics - or European Championships - ahead, more are certain to come. But in addition to the World Champion; Isaac del Toro, João Almeida and Juan Ayuso have brought in a total of 26 victories combined thus far - a number that is also likely to increase. With so many proven winners all-round, the team is stacked with wins at all levels.

"And I would love to see those who haven't won yet this year, because it would mean that UAE not only has the best rider in the world, but also the best team, and the data says so".

Reaching the record seems to be only a matter of time, but he was asked about something even more ambitious: "To reach 100? That's obviously a round number and something spectacular, but let's go for 86 first," the coach continued before stage 16 of the Vuelta a España 2025.