UAE Team Emirates - XRG may enter the opening weekend without Tadej Pogacar but certainly not without ambitions: "We will be one of the main favourites"
Cycling
The opening weekend of 2025 is here and for UAE Team Emirates - XRG it's another pair of races where they'd like to score some top results. Without Tadej Pogacar, they don't have an outstanding favourite, but through massive collective strength and team depth, the result may just come around.
Tim Wellens will take on the role of team captain on his home roads, but he the 33-year-old Belgian won't be just a cheerleader for his younger teammates. After all, he has some unfinished business at Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne. Last year, he had to settle for 2nd place in a sprint against Wout Van Aert.
"Being from Belgium this period of the season is always very special and exciting for me," said Tim Wellens in a press release. "I believe our classics team continues to evolve year on year and I think we go into the races with a very strong team with the possibility to do great things."
"This year we will be one of the main favourites in these races compared to other years. We’ve had a very strong start to the year and the atmosphere is very good so we’ll hope to keep that going. The weather is also looking to be favourable, so that’s always a nice bonus for the opening weekend."
Another runner-up from 2024 on UAE lineup is Nils Politt. The German went head to head against Jan Tratnik in chaotic finale of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, but just like his teammate a day later, he was defeated by the Visma | Lease a Bike rider too.
"If you look at our team I think you have many guys who can be present in the finals of these races which makes a big difference for the results and we will aim to be fighting for podiums," Politt confirms the team's big ambitions.
The list of possible favourites in white outfits doesn't stop there with Jhonathan Narváez also nominated. The Ecuadorian is yet to score a big result at Classics, but as one of the few men who managed to upset Tadej Pogacar in 2024, he's certainly to be treated with respect.
And the National champion is more than looking forward to get stuck in the racing in Flanders too. "I think that if you don’t enjoy the chaos of the Classics, you just don’t enjoy cycling. You have to enjoy the adrenaline to be a cyclist," Narváez added.
And then there are Mikkel Bjerg (4th man from 2024 Tour of Flanders), Florian Vermeersch (2nd at 2021 Paris-Roubaix) and António Morgado (5th at 2024 Tour of Flanders). Rune Herregodts will likely take on more of a support role while Rui Oliveira, who joins the team for Sunday's Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne as a potential sprinter in case we have a similar scenario to 2021 and 2022 editions.
UAE Team Emirates - XRG for the 2025 Opening Weekend:
- Mikkel Bjerg
- Rune Herregodts
- António Morgado (only Omloop)
- Jhonatan Narváez
- Rui Oliveira (only K-B-K)
- Nils Politt
- Florian Vermeersch
- Tim Wellens
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses 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.
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