"We won’t go overboard" - However, UAE confirm more leadership for American World Champion McNulty in 2027
Cycling
Brandon McNulty is UAE Team Emirates - XRG's new World Champion and a rider that, in 2027, will have more responsibility and leadership opportunities within the team. Team manager Mauro Gianetti has spoken about the American, his abilities, expectations and even if Grand Tours could become a priority from next season onwards.
“He’s realized in these days that wearing the jersey is a big responsibility and it always makes you more visible, so he’s watched more closely," Mauro Gianetti said in an interview with Domestique.
Ever since winning the World Championships in Montréal, McNulty has been racing in Italy, seeking results in the vast Autumn classics. He's been second at the Coppa Agostoni, but has been part of the Giro dell'Emilia, Tre Valli Varesine and Gran Piemonte as well - either spending time on the attack or working for the team.
It's been a busy period for the American, now trying to win under a different spotlight. “A wider public gets to discover him now, and he’s a lad who can really honour this jersey".
"We’ve already seen that this week, he’s been in front every day, on the attack and making the race. Having the jersey is big obligation, but it’s also a great one to have. And it’s a responsibility that will definitely make him mature.”
Brandon McNulty was crowned world champion in Montreal
More leadership, less riding for Pogacar
Eventually questions surge over McNulty's role in a UAE that is already packed with Tadej Pogacar, Isaac del Toro, João Almeida and many others. McNulty has an enviable palmarès of his own, but also regularly races as a domestique for his leaders throughout the season - as was the case at the Tour de France.
“When you’re riding alongside Tadej, it’s easy to think you have to be a domestique. However, it’s clear that certain races will be set aside for him, because the world champion deserves it," Gianetti assures. He’s earned it, so he’ll have plenty of scope and a great deal of responsibility in this jersey.”
“We can consider giving him even more responsibility next year, but we don’t want to give him too much either, because it’s only right that everyone in our team has their own chance. He’ll have a bit more, because he’s in an important position and he deserves it, but we won’t go overboard. It wouldn’t be right in his case to give him too much either, that doesn’t seem fair to me.”
Although he's had freedom this year, form and health weren't always optimal, and he wasn't able to take the same results in the stage-races as he had in 2025. He will likely continue to lead UAE in some week-long races, whilst his status in the Grand Tours might change.
“For now, he’s shown in one-week races that he’s truly at the very highest level, while for three-week races we still need to do a few more tests. It’s clear that he’s never managed it so far, but that’s maybe also because he’s never had the goal of having to fight for the GC. But it’s something we might discover together".
McNulty uncovering his true potential
Now 28, the American rider appears to continue to evolve, not having hit the top of the charts in his younger years like many riders in modern cycling. For UAE he is a project in permanent development, who can still surprise in years to come.
"We already extended his contract on a long-term (into 2030, ed.) basis last year, so we’ve got plenty of time to discover a champion who has been revealing his true potential over the years, without rushing things.”
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“We know he’s a champion, and it’s no by chance that the day before, when I went to see him at the hotel, I told him: ‘Look, you really can win the Worlds. It’s not a fantasy, it’s a reality, especially if you play your cards right'. And that’s how he won it, but he was already one of the five or six strongest riders there at the start.”
A true all-rounder, McNulty has the ability to be a very interesting rider for years to come, with a skillset that makes him rather unique in the peloton. This Saturday he races Il Lombardia, where together with Isaac del Toro the team will pursue one more monument victory.
“A race that hard is one that will ultimately be fought out among the best. But with Brandon and Del Toro, we have a good duo who can play their cards.”
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- @Jumpyjohn I believe it is because of Lombardia, at least that is what Remco stated during an interview after his Euro Road win.anonymouscyclist09-10-2026
- Not much need to get that jersey when he's got the world championship jersey to wear for another year.Vpotts09-10-2026
- Where it got him?MajorPayne09-10-2026
- It’s very simple, there is almost no money in cycling journalism (none of us pays anything here and probably very little elsewhere). People are getting paid for clicks and likes for far more “fun” viewing than reading articles so websites like these are left to share “syndicated” material and do hypothetical reporting and interviews, like asking questions without getting answers. I don’t think we should be blaming messengers, let’s think a little deeper, also about our own role and choices.Jumpyjohn09-10-2026
- I see you corrected the error but can you now please tell us how it affects your conclusion, which for me was the most important part. You said (at 1300) a much faster “shutter” speed would be needed or solve certain issues. Now that we’re at 13000, what is your opinion, is that fast enough or should technology invest further for even more precision so we’ll never ever have joint medals again but far more losers questioning results. I was extremely disappointed with FIFA’s announcements of being able to prove they made a correct call when awarding or not a penalty/goal (can’t remember which way it went) in the case of inside the ball technology that supposedly could have measured whether the ball did or didn’t touch a players hair which would have altered the result. My reasoning, if the tech is THAT precise, then it would permanently be giving false signals at random moments as the ball encountered obstacles such as flies, mosquitoes, droplets, leaves, larger loose particles, etc. and nobody would be in a position to distinguish properly. Of course, maybe it was hyperbole (funny people get the pronunciation right, funny also if they don’t)) or a reporting/editing mistake but nobody seems to have clicked, perhaps because a certain overturned card took away all the attention?Jumpyjohn09-10-2026
- I also hope Primož takes Lombardia, but I think it won't happen. Just because Primož became the EU champion in the ITT, without any strong competition, doesn't mean that much. In Lombardia the competition will be too strong for him.PogiSloFans09-10-2026
- I hope he takes Lombardia. It will be interesting to see him with Remco - guaranteed Primoz doesn't work for him.mij09-10-2026
- Maybe Net Company INEOS should be signing Roglic. Feels like they have been mostly irrelevant since G hung up the shoes. At least they would have someone who is there or there abouts on GC.MASnell09-10-2026
- Maybe Net Company INEOS should be signing Roglic. Feels like they have been mostly irrelevant since G hung up the shoes. At least they would have someone who is there or there abouts on GC.MASnell09-10-2026
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