UAE rolls back the years - American Brandon McNulty confirmed to aid Tadej Pogacar in historic Tour de France bid
Cycling
UAE Team Emirates - XRG recently hosted their media day in Benidorm, Spain, where a lot of riders have shared their overall outlook for 2026 and calendars. But a lot of details were left unsaid or untouched. One more piece of the Grand Tour puzzle has been put in place, as Brandon McNulty's presence at the Tour de France has been confirmed.
The Tour de France block is very likely to be almos the same as in 2025, a lineup that worked very well towards Tadej Pogacar's fourth Tour de France triumph. Isaac del Toro replaces João Almeida as a top climbing support, with the Mexican's debut a point to look forward to.
Tim Wellens and Marc Soler have confirmed they will be part of the Grand Boucle lineup, and there is every reason to believe that Nils Politt, Jhonatan Narváez and Pavel Sivakov will be there. Adam Yates will race the Giro d'Italia as CyclingUpToDate has been told, and whilst it was initially said that he could combine it with the Tour de France, most likely he will be the rider out, replaced by Brandon McNulty.

McNulty won this year's Tour de Pologne, as well as several other stage-races. @Sirotti
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UAE believes in McNulty
“The programme of Brandon McNulty this year is mainly the Tour de France," team manager Joxean Matxin shared with Domestique and Daniel Benson. This could be great news for Tadej Pogacar, as in 2022, McNulty's final week at the Tour saw only himself and Jonas Vingegaard be able to follow the American up the climbs of the Pyrenees.
"Last year, we started with Adam Yates and Brandon in the Giro d’Italia as the two alternatives to Juan Ayuso and João Almeida. And this can be the case at the Tour de France, he can be a good alternative to Del Toro. I have always considered Brandon McNulty one of the best riders in the world. I believe a lot in Brandon McNulty.”
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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