Team Emirates confirm participation in Tour de France
DUBAI: Matarsuhailalyahouni,generalmanagerof theuaeteamemirates,announcedtheparticipation in Tour De France for the 2020 season.
The Tour De France is scheduled to get under way on Aug.29.
The 2020 Tour was originally scheduled to take place from 27 June to 19 July. Due to coronavirus, it was postponed to August.
Earlier, UAE Team reshuffled their squad for three grand tours.
Each line-up has mixed goals with a good balance of climbers, sprinters and versatile stage-hunters. The full squad listings are yet to be confirmed, but should become clear in the coming weeks.
Tour de France: Fabio Aru (Ita), Tadej Pogačar (Slo), Davide Formolo (Ita), David De la Cruz (Esp), Alexander Kristoff (Nor).
Giro d’italia: Fernando Gaviria (Col), Maximiliano Richeze (Arg), Sebastian Molano (Col), Brandon Mcnulty (USA), Joe Dombrowski (USA), Valerio Conti (Ita), Diego Ulissi (Ita).
Vuelta Espana : David De la Cruz (Esp), Davide Formolo (Ita), Fabio Aru (Ita), Jasper Philipsen (Bel), Rui Costa (Por).
Meanwhile, Pogacar, who recently Time Trial in Slovenia, was delighted to know that he would pe a part of the squad for the Tour de France.
“I was thrilled to find out that I will be part of the team’s roster who will be heading to Nice in August and racing in the Tour de France,” said Pogacar after being notified of the roster.
“The Tour de France is the biggest and most well-known race in the world and the pinnacle of any rider’s career. I’m super excited to be in the team and can’t wait to test myself against the best riders in the world at one of the hardest Tours.
“We’re now just six weeks away from the start of the revised UCI 2020 race calendar and I am looking forward to getting back to competitive racing.
“Knowing that I will be racing in the Tour de France means I can finally train with a specific goal in mind.
“I am feeling fit and strong and I am happy with the team at the moment. We’ve got a good mix of attributes for our Grand Tour line ups – having that balance of climbers, sprinters and stage hunters.
“It’s also great for the fans for racing to start again. I hope we can fill the gap that’s been left with no sport and get back to entertaining as many people as possible. The whole team is more motivated than ever with this new calendar.
“Since I arrived at UAE Team Emirates, I felt part of the family. I have many friends in the team and there has always been a good atmosphere with the riders and the staff.
“That’s also one of the main reasons why I recently renewed my contract with the team until 2024. The UAE Team Emirates is a longterm project with some strong sponsors, and I am proud to be part of it. It is also important to have some security for the coming years.
“The staff have done an amazing job during the lockdown. A huge amount of work has been done behind the scenes and constant communication has been key in keeping us up to date with news about our races.”