UAE Team Emirates–XRG announce Giro d’Italia lineup as Ayuso and Yates lead GC charge

With just four days to go until the 108th edition of the Giro d’Italia begins, UAE Team Emirates–XRG have unveiled their squad, and while Tadej Pogacar won’t be defending his 2024 crown, the team arrives with a formidable roster and high ambitions.

The Emirati outfit, which dominated last year’s race through Pogacar’s six stage wins and a commanding overall victory by nearly ten minutes, will this time be spearheaded by a dual leadership approach. Juan Ayuso and Adam Yates will share GC responsibilities in the mountains, bringing depth, form, and experience to a team that has become a consistent force at the Grand Tours.

Ayuso, now widely seen as one of the sport’s brightest young stars, has already enjoyed an excellent 2025 season, highlighted by his overall victory at Tirreno–Adriatico. The 22-year-old Spaniard is set to make his Giro debut and will be aiming to improve on the team’s podium finish in 2023, when João Almeida placed third.

“I’m really excited to start my first Giro D’Italia,” Ayuso said in a team press release. “It’s extra special because it’s a new race for me and having raced for an Italian team (Colpak) before I turned professional and winning the Baby Giro in 2021 I feel I have a special connection with Italy.”

Ayuso’s primary competition for pink will include pre-race favourite Primoz Roglic, who won the Giro in 2023, and a number of other GC hopefuls. But alongside him, Adam Yates brings proven Grand Tour credentials and is coming into the race off a strong training block at altitude.

“The Giro is one of the biggest races on the calendar and I can’t wait to get stuck-in,” said Yates. “I’ve had a solid preparation period with the team at altitude, and I feel ready to take on the challenge. We’re coming in with big goals, and personally, I’m motivated to race hard and go for a good result. Between myself and Juan I think we should be able to have a good crack on the GC and try to defend the title, and I’m looking forward to getting started in what I hope will be a very competitive three weeks.”

The team supporting them is packed with climbing strength, experience, and versatility. American Brandon McNulty, a previous Giro stage winner, will be a key figure in the mountains, while Rafał Majka, Igor Arrieta, Filippo Baroncini, Isaac del Toro, and Jay Vine round out a well-balanced and battle-tested roster.

While Pogacar's absence leaves a gap in narrative dominance, the team appears poised for another deep GC run, with Ayuso’s breakthrough and Yates' consistency giving UAE Team Emirates – XRG a powerful one-two punch in their quest to retain the maglia rosa.

Let’s face it, UAE are certainly the team to beat.