Joxean Fernández Matxín, the head of
UAE Team Emirates, is very clear about his team's strategy. In a statement to Marca at the Vuelta a Andalucía, where he is supporting a
Tadej Pogacar who has won the 3 races he has contested so far in 2023.
He made it clear that for him it is more logical to face the races with a clear leader and not as other teams do, accumulating 'seeded riders' without any of them being clear. "It's not a question of having several leaders, but of having a leader in each race. Sometimes Formolo has it like in Oman, Covi, Ulissi, Trentin.... We have many winning riders."
"We have to know how to dignify the work of our teammates. We don't forget that they are champions. We have to give them opportunities to win. Almeida in Algarve, Ayuso in Valencia (finally he couldn't go, ed.), Tadej in Andalucía and Jaén.... We want to have the best rider for each race," commented Matxin.
The truth is that, for example, in this Vuelta a Andalucía we are seeing a Bahrain Victorious in stages like yesterday with Santiago Buitrago, Mikel Landa and Matej Mohoric not being able to take advantage of their superiority in the breakaway and not establishing a clear plan with a leader either for the stage or for the overall. In UAE everything is very clear: they are working for Pogacar, with Tim Wellens seizing an opportunity given by the team to succeed in yesterday's stage.