UAE Team Emirates - XRG go for Vuelta a Asturias hat-trick with new-look squad

UAE Team Emirates-XRG return to the Vuelta a Asturias this week with a very different look, but the same objective, as they target a third consecutive overall victory in the Spanish stage race.

After back to back wins through Isaac del Toro in 2024 and Marc Soler in 2025, the Emirati squad arrive without a clear headline leader, instead leaning on a mix of emerging talent and versatile support options across a four day race that rewards aggressive racing.

Filippo Baroncini, Julius Johansen and Adria Pericas provide the WorldTour backbone, but much of the intrigue sits around the next wave stepping up alongside them.

Daan Dijkman comes into the race as the standout name among that group after his victory at the U23 Liege Bastogne Liege. The Dutch rider’s win was built on an aggressive approach, spending much of the finale up the road before still delivering in the sprint, and that same willingness to race on the front foot could prove decisive on a route designed to prevent control.

With no summit finishes and every stage featuring significant climbing, the race consistently opens the door to long range moves rather than waiting for a final climb.

That profile has already suited UAE in recent editions, particularly in Marc Soler’s victory last year, and the 2026 route again looks set to favour riders willing to take risks.

Without a single protected leader, UAE have multiple cards to play across the four days, a dynamic that could allow them to dictate the race in a different way to previous years.

Whether that approach can deliver a third straight win will depend on how quickly their younger riders can translate potential into results at this level, but the terrain offers them the perfect opportunity to do so.