UAE Team Emirates' injury-hit 2026 season sees 17 broken bones from 16 crashes - "We're all a bit stretched thin"
CyclingFriday, 11 September 2026 at 12:31
UAE Team Emirates - XRG rider João Almeida might just be on track to returning to his former self after a top notch Vuelta a Espana time trial performance. The Portuguese rider has been severely hit by illness and crashes in 2026, similar to his team's misfortune when it comes to crashes at various points of the season.
The top team in the UCI Rankings, UAE have enjoyed a successful season all considered, but have certainly found themselves under pressure when it comes to injuries and illness throughout the season.
At the Giro d'Italia, they lost several key riders to crashes during the race, their Tour squad was hit with an illness outbreak that could have threatened Tadej Pogacar's yellow jersey. And of course, Pogacar himself saw his season ended by a Vuelta crash in the opening week.
With just four riders remaining, Almeida is one of them as he looks to turn his fortune around. He started the season well with podium finishes in Volta ao Algarve Comunitat Valenciana before illness saw his season severely disrupted. He abandoned Volta a Catalunya and took time off.
Joao Almeida crosses the line on Stage 14
Almeida and UAE's injury-impacted season
His Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes return also ended in an abandon before he finally got on track in August to prepare for his Vuelta participation, only to suffer a Tour de Pologne crash that ended his race, too.
Despite this, he's finally showing glimpses of his old self that saw him claim ten WorldTour victories in 2025. With a third place in a hotly contested time trial on Thursday, he admitted that the team are stretched thin due to injuries and illness at the Vuelta - an overall trend of the Emirati team's season.
“We're all a bit stretched thin, and the heat makes it even harder. It's been a complicated Vuelta with crashes, injuries, illnesses… it's not our best moment, but we always go out there and give it our all. Every single day,” Almeida told AS.
Almeida finding his feet after difficult season
"It was very difficult for me to feel good on the bike again, and I'm still far from my best form. Now, finding my rhythm will be more important than getting results until the end of the season," Almeida added.
UAE confirmed to AS that 17 broken bones were recorded from 16 crashes throughout the season so far as injuries and illnesses mount. In their UAE Next Gen development squad, five riders are currently sidelined with injuries.
Without Pogacar, they approach the end-of-season races with a new focus. Isaac del Toro has been propelled to the status of sole leader in Friday's GP de Quebec and is expected to lead the lines at Sunday's GP de Montreal ahead of the World Championships.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- He only did what Pog did to him. Thomas got his the easy way, Prim lost his the hard way. Mas had plenty of chances to get his, he probably finally will but if he doesn’t it’s unlikely to be through Prim as there are no more TTs, if Mas loses now, it most likely will be due to his own management and why should Prim take that into consideration?Mistermaumau11-09-2026
- If you ride a bike and consider the behaviour of some in cars you can quite easily stretch your imagination a bit to see some part of their brain isn’t functioning properly. In fact, you also notice it quite often in amateur racing. It may be attitude towards risk and respect have changed over the generations so different generations may have problems agreeing what is normal today. Taking huge risks when it concerns only your life is poor judgement when it goes wrong, doing it when it affects others signals something went permanently wrong with judgement along the way, it’s less poor judgement than a complete inability or disregard for judgement or understanding of consequences. Shall we take Groenewegen as a case study?Mistermaumau11-09-2026
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- Let's hope it's been mangled in translationwrsty11-09-2026
- Puzzled what mental illness has to be going for stage win. Crashes in the peleton have no link to mental illness just poor judgement riding or not paying attention. Please do not link mental illness to crashes .paultryan200211-09-2026
- I swear to god if Roglič does the same thing to Mas as he did to Thomas at the Giro, I'll fkn laugh my head off. LET HIM HAVE IT, ROGLA... crush him like your compatriot, Pogi The Great, would crush him. Baby Hulk would say "SMASH !!!"PogiSloFans11-09-2026
- I swear to god if Roglic does the same thing to Mas as he did to Thomas at the Giro, I'll fkn cry. LET HIM HAVE ONE, ROGLAwrsty11-09-2026
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