UAE sign talented young American classics specialist - "I’m really looking forward to learning from the best in the world"
CyclingTuesday, 12 August 2025 at 11:56
Only 24 hours after announcing the signing of 19-year old Adria Pericas, UAE Team Emirates - XRG have revealed their second signing of this transfer season: Team Picnic PostNL's Kevin Vermaerke.
"We are very pleased to welcome Kevin to our team," team CEO Mauro Gianetti said in a press release. "He’s a young, versatile rider and has already shown he can compete at the highest level. We believe he can continue to grow in our environment and become an important part of our team structure, both in stage races and the one-day calendar.”
The 24-year old rider currently races with Team Picnic PostNL, where he has been since turning pro back in 2021. Over the years he has shown his talent as a puncheur, a rider capable of performing in the races with small climbs - having impressed thoroughly at the 2023 World Championships in Glasgow where he rode alongside the best deep into the race. However despite the many promising results the American has not yet been able to take his first pro win and in 2025 he hasn't raced a Grand Tour thus far - whilst it is quite unlikely that he will be present at La Vuelta, taking into consideration he is currently scheduled to race the Deutschland Tour in colliding dates.
From 2026 onwards he becomes a UAE Team Emirates rider, having signed a two-year deal. "I am incredibly excited to join UAE Team Emirates-XRG next year and start a new chapter in my career," he added. "I’ve grown a lot over the last few years but I feel that the team environment of UAE with the level of the riders and attention to detail on the team will be the change I need to take the next step. I’m really looking forward to learning from the best in the world and contributing to the team’s success next season.”
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We’re delighted to welcome Kevin Vermaerke 🇺🇸 to UAE Team Emirates-XRG for the 2026 season! 🙌
— @UAE-TeamEmirates (@TeamEmiratesUAE) August 12, 2025
A proven all-rounder with WorldTour experience, Kevin will be a key force in our stage race and classics campaigns.
Welcome aboard, Kevin! 💪#WeAreUAE pic.twitter.com/GPbgkSWwHq
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- I see. From a different perspective, all people are equal. If I was standing beside a cycling "star" and a cycling "public" person, there would be no preference of attention given to one or the other. I appreciate the pro cyclist performances equally with others.itsent29-01-2026
- Mm's comment was nonsensical, thus I offered a nonsensical reply. Nonetheless, the logic tracks. Barriers are not at the zoo to keep "normal public" away from the animals. If they wished to do that, the zoo would just close and release the animals back to their natural habitats. The zoo is there for the public. Similarly, pro cycling exists to entertain the public for the purpose of marketing and entertainment.itsent29-01-2026
- The problem IS Instagram/YouTubers who make these videos; other than the guy in question, theirs an/other guy who lives in Majorca and follows Pro's around.. it's this Pretence' that's caused/ing this problem, Spectacle of the 'super-star' professional riders, in recent yrs also, an upped media awareness and scoping, strangely since Eurosport sport got sold, to the Americans.. + media reporting of Pro even farting is getting airtime, yes it's that stupid, now! It's hard to even read, that style of reporting. Like back in the day, you'd know a rider is training for the coming season, yet now I even know what Pogacar has been, it's just too much now, I'm tiring of this much media attention, no wonder a UK pro scrapped the sport suddenly... the media interest is just TOO MUCH
leedorney28-01-2026 - Personally, I speak to the other end of the leash before approaching. As for barriers, by my logic the exact reason they are there is to STOP normal public approach so please clarify your logic.Mistermaumau28-01-2026
- Don’t get itJumpyjohn28-01-2026
- The guy is working and the amateur should know that, maybe remember that next time someone at work gets a bit too close :-) Was it a technical descent coz I can keep up with just about any pro on a safe downhill thanks to some extra kg, besides from Strava data, it’s obvious pros are rarely pushing their max in training at this stage.Jumpyjohn28-01-2026
- Yates retired because Visma would not let him do the Giro because of Jonas Vingagaard. Plain and simple that's what happens when you become a rigid team like Visma.YJKauf1328-01-2026
- Ah, sorry. Ok, rewind. The first guy annoys JV who decides to “try to get rid of him” (which I doubt he’d do if he’d been asked coz then he would have had the chance to say no and that should have been it). The video (am not going to watch it unless someone tells me there are other important details not mentioned in the story) seems to show distance but this in no way describes the previous episode (at least it seems the guy didn’t pop out his phone while on JVs wheel, which isn’t unknown). I guess we can also safely assume if the distance had been 100-150 all the time, JV would never have noticed or been bothered. Now, though it’s not very clear, it sounds like both riders stopped, the annoyer carrying on before the 2nd guy came? But (and put yourself in the situation of someone who just crashed hard in the middle of nowhere), maybe JV imagines the 2nd rider might be associated with the 1st? It’s not like he would have paid much attention to the number and possible relationship between riders around him in what seems like quite a short period. Interesting though that both amateurs’ versions were so quick to make the rounds to media.Mistermaumau28-01-2026
- Also, this is a pro’s job, training on roads (especially those they will be racing on). Other multimillionaires also drive their cars on the public roads Joe uses and expect not to have hoards of fans driving in convoy behind. Only multibillionaires can almost escape that with private aircraft, not exactly what society should be aiming to emulate. Maybe they should ask for payrises to build their own racing tracks?Mistermaumau28-01-2026
- By your rationale, people should also not be allowed to get close to the animal pen railings at zoos, or to approach a dog on a leash.itsent28-01-2026
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