UAE TEAM EMIRATES
Country: UAE Number of riders: 31 Under-26: 15 Over-35: 1
Key stat: Since contracting Covid-19 at the UAE Tour in March 2020, Fernando Gaviria has triumphed only four times
How was the off-season?
There’s an argument to say that they have recruited better than any other team, bringing in Marc Soler, Joäo Almeida and George Bennett to shore up their GC team and provide them multiple new options for when the road turns skywards. Pascal Ackermann and Alvaro José Hodeg should provide sprint victories in place of the departed Alexander Kristoff.
Biggest challenge?
Supporting Tadej Pogačar more. Despite the Slovenian’s success in the past three seasons, he has achieved it thanks to his enormous ability rather than having a perfectly drilled team. It has been, in fact, quite the opposite, with Pogačar almost always isolated. The aforementioned recruits are a nod towards a team hoping to rectify that.
Man on the spot?
Marc Hirschi. A phenomenal three months in 2020 elevated the young Swiss’s stock, but he struggled to consolidate his market position after surprisingly leaving DSM in early January 2021, joining UAE Team Emirates a few days later. The attention on his shock switch, coupled with multiple niggling injuries, stalled his progress last year, only coming good at September’s Tour de Luxembourg. Still only 23, Hirschi has pressure on him from fans who are acutely aware that he has the capabilities to rival the likes of Julian Alaphillipe.
Ones to watch?
Juan Ayuso: comparisons with Tadej Pogačar are not media-fuelled, but rather the comments of his team’s coaches who have been blown away by the strength of the 19-year-old Spaniard. American Brandon Mcnulty will also be expected to continue his progression.