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.

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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.

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