Analysing UAE Team Emirates-XRG's Giro d’Italia team 🇦🇪 🇮🇹
Will the Emirati squad retain the maglia rosa or falter in the absence of Tadej Pogačar?
Hi Subscribers,
That transfer story I mentioned earlier today will be on its way to you later this evening, but in the meantime, here’s Joseph Lycett with an analysis of UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s Giro d’Italia team.
I also caught up with Simon Yates earlier today, and his brother Adam is calling later tonight. Those interviews will be published in the morning, while Founding Members of the Substack can listen to the interview with Simon in our WhatsApp group.
Remember, all the latest transfer news, updates, and analysis are on the Transfer Index Page. To coincide with the Giro d’Italia, there’s a special 20% sale on annual subscriptions. Just click on the link below to sign up.
Over to Joseph…
With Italian roots running through the core of the team, UAE Team Emirates-XRG has a strong relationship with the Giro d’Italia. The team has won the race on three occasions: with Gilberto Simoni in 2001, Michele Scarponi in 2011, and Tadej Pogačar in 2024.
Though Pogačar has chosen not to defend his overall victory from last year’s edition of the race, his team will be hoping to retain the maglia rosa in the absence of the World Champion, as they bring a strong squad that combines youth with experience.
They will go all-in for the general classification, as Juan Ayuso and Adam Yates lead their lineup in a two-pronged attack, with support from reliable domestiques in Jay Vine, Brandon McNulty and Rafał Majka, as well as the relatively inexperienced talents of Isaac del Toro, Filippo Baroncini and Igor Arrieta.
With a clear objective and strong focus on winning the race overall, let’s take a closer look at their roster and each rider’s role within the team for the Giro d’Italia.
Juan Ayuso 🇪🇸
Age: 22
Giro record: Debutant
Seen as one of the top two favourites for the overall victory going into the race, Juan Ayuso will be making his Giro d’Italia debut at this year’s edition, as he looks to challenge Primož Roglič for the maglia rosa. He lost out on the general classification by a matter of seconds to the Slovenian at the Volta a Catalunya, but the Spanish rider will be hoping to get the better of his rival in Italy, having already won Tirreno-Adriatico earlier in the season.
With several hard mountain stages and two time trials featured on the route, the race is well-suited to Ayuso and his style of racing. However, he may have to rein in his attacking tendencies on some of the earlier stages, if he is to hold something back for a difficult third week of racing, where the race will ultimately be decided.
The talented 22-year-old promised much when he first appeared in the WorldTour back in 2021 and has delivered on that promise thus far. In his first two Grand Tour appearances at the Vuelta a España, he finished in third and fourth place overall, whilst at last year’s Tour de France, illness ruled him out of what looked to be a nailed on top-ten finish.
This race could therefore be a significant step forward in his development, as winning the Giro d’Italia ahead of Roglič would put him closer to the level of Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard, marking him as a proper Grand Tour contender for years to come.
Adam Yates 🇬🇧
Age: 32
Giro record: One start, 9th on GC in 2017
Waiting in the wings to assume GC leadership should Ayuso falter will be Adam Yates, as the Anglo-Spanish pair go into the race as supposed co-leaders. However, given that Yates rode in support of Ayuso at both Tirreno-Adriatico and the Volta a Catalunya, it is fair to assume that the British rider will fold into a domestique role if push comes to shove.
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