Without Pogacar, Brandon McNulty leads UAE Team Emirates at Critérium du Dauphiné

Young American stage-racer Brandon McNulty will have another chance to lead UAE Team Emirates this coming week as the team will ambition a strong result in the overall classification alongside stage wins.

“Since the beginning of the year the Dauphiné has always been a goal. I’ve had a good build up in training for this race, the level will be very high but we’re going in with a strong team and we’ll aim to be active on each stage," McNulty said in anticipation for the race. Having won the Trofeo Calvia and Faun-Ardèche Classic, alongside a stage win at Paris-Nice with standout performances there and at the Volta ao Algarve, he has consolidated himself as a very complete and extremely dangerous rider. He will have another opportunity to lead the team here, as the 32-kilometer long time-trial likely see him emerge onto the final weekend as one of the main favourites for the overall win.

After illnesses broke down his ambitions towards the end of the spring, the 24-year old claims that "I’m back to full health now and all things considered it’s been a pretty amazing season so far so I’m really looking forward to kicking-off this second half.” He will have Juan Ayuso as a co-leader, aswell as the support of George Bennett in the mountains - as Tadej Pogacar eyes his home race the Tour of Slovenia.

Furthermore the team is set to have high sprint expectations as Juan Sebastián Molano comes off a win at the Boucles de la Mayenne, and will be supported by a leadout of Ivo Oliveira and Oliviero Troia.

UAE Team Emirates for Critérium du Dauphiné: Brandon McNulty, Andrés Ardila, Juan Ayuso, George Bennett, Juan Sebastián Molano, Ivo Oliveira and Oliviero Troia.