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.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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- wtf dudemij07-11-2026
- big rival … ridiculous.Ketterechts07-11-2026
- It would be great if the World Champion's jersey could be rotated among McNulty, Simmons, and Jorgenson. They threaded the needle perfectly. If each hadn't done exactly what he did, exactly when he did it, the race would have gone to one of the more heralded superstars. That said, how nice that this humble and hardworking guy gets his moment in the sun.
MarkFour07-11-2026 - This is a really interesting idea, which, if well prepared could even be very successful. Very little money needs to be involved for a first season and any success could lead to rapid interest from sponsors.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Hmmm, you seem to have a very convenient black and white view of things. Perhaps you haven’t been around much to discover how complex problems can become over time with people who know how to control, manipulate (or worse) others so gradually or subtly that you arrive at an irresolvable situation before you realise. This is how many inconveniences get introduced to the young, naïve, passionate or “desperate”, knowing they are not armed, protected or strong enough to defend themselves once it’s too late. Why do you think omerta culture is so widespread, why do you think so many people continue to go through so many awful things in life that others can’t understand anyone getting into? Life may be far more jolly for you but you would do well to understand (or reflect more on) the real world to refrain from being so quick to criticise those in a hard spot that may have genuine reason for speaking out.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Seriously do you think when somebody gets into a serious accident, the ambulance is called by the hurt person?🤦 there is always a buddy system in place for a risky job. police , firefighters etc so that if someone gets hurt, the other call that in.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
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