UAE rolls back the years - American Brandon McNulty confirmed to aid Tadej Pogacar in historic Tour de France bid

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.

“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.”