UAE Team Emirates season preview: Transfers, goals & TOUR forecast for UAE Team Emirates
Andreas Kublik
· 13.02.2023
UAE Team Emirates: The star makes the team
The team is the advertising medium of the desert state of the United Arab Emirates. Thanks to the money from natural resources, especially oil, the top riders are sucked off the market almost like a hoover. Star of the team: the two-time Tour winner and world number one Tadej Pogacar.
How 2022 went
The makers will not be completely satisfied - despite the proud number of 48 wins this season. The star ensemble is measured against high standards. At the Tour de France, Tadej Pogacar could not quite keep up with the strong Jonas Vingegard - and seemed overconfident in his race organisation. Even though he failed to win his third Tour in a row, according to the world rankings, the still only 24-year-old Slovenian was the best professional cyclist last year. He won the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico stage races as well as the Strade Bianche, GP Montreal and Tour of Lombardy one-day races. In the Tour of Flanders, Pogacar was beaten by Mathieu van der Poel - finishing fourth. The team is more than the Slovenian leader? Yes and no: "Pogi" alone delivered twelve of the 18 victories at World Tour level.
Transfers with UAE Team Emirates
The pull continues: If you're not a three-legged stoolie, the money from the Arabian Peninsula is used to sign you up. Most of the riders are brought in as bodyguards for the super all-rounder from Slovenia, who can win at Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Tour or Vuelta. The highly endowed 30-man squad has been further strengthened by classification rider Felix Großschartner (from Bora-Hansgrohe), climber Jay Vine (from Alpecin-Deceuninck) and 2016 Tour runner-up Adam Yates (from Ineos Grenadiers).
They join an already high-calibre ensemble with strong tour specialists such as Rafal Majka (Vuelta third in 2015), Marc Hirschi (Tour stage winner), Marc Soler (Paris-Nice winner in 2018), George Bennett (Giro eighth in 2018), Juan Ayuso (Vuelta third in 2022), noble helper Brandon McNulty and Joao Almeida (Giro fourth in 2020). Belgian Tim Wellens (from Lotto Soudal) joins the classics squad. Departures include former world champion Rui Costa (to Intermarche-Circus-Wanty) and good parts of the sprinter fraction around Fernando Gaviria (to Movistar) and Maximiliano Richeze.
Additions and departures at a glance
New additions for the 2023 season
- Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal)
- Felix Großschartner (Bora-Hansgrohe)
- Domen Novak (Bahrain-Victorious)
- Adam Yates (Ineos Grenadiers)
- Sjoerd Bax (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
- Michael Vink (Bolton Equities Black Spoke Pro Cycling)
- Jay Vine (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
Departures
- Rui Costa (Intermarche-Circus-Wanty)
- Fernando Gaviria (Movistar)
- Alexys Brunel (Uni Sports Lamentinois)
- Andres Camilo Ardila (Burgos-BH)
- Joel Sutter (Tudor Pro Cycling Team)
- Maximiliano Richeze
- Yousif Mirza (end of career)
- Oliviero Troia
The goals for 2023
The goal is clear: to win the Tour again with Tadej Pogacar. But that's not all. They want to become the best team in the world. It helps that the Slovenian is one of the favourites in almost every race he competes in. Increased focus for "Pogi": the Tour of Flanders, where he recently failed to win. In Matteo Trentin, he can rely on an experienced classics hunter as a team partner - and newcomer Wellens will also help. The great breadth of the squad allows for many goals - especially in difficult one-day and stage races. Juan Ayuso (Vuelta) and Joao Almeida (Giro) will get their chances in the stage races, where the great captain is not expected to be at the start.
TOUR forecast for UAE Team Emirates
Thanks to Tadej Pogacar, UAE remains the reference in all races that suit the Slovenian. In Juan Ayuso, an even younger competitor is growing up - third in the Vuelta at the age of 19 was a statement last year and promises a lot for the future. He is a candidate for overall victory at the Vuelta. The team has a chance of winning many races thanks to versatile all-rounders like Marc Hirschi and Matteo Trentin.
For Pascal Ackermann, the season could lead to a crossroads: Will the sprinter remain world-class and coveted by top teams or will he switch to a different role, as he already showed as a helper last season? In the case of Brandon McNulty, it remains to be seen whether he will recommend himself for a captain's role or whether he will settle comfortably into his role as a noble assistant to captain Pogacar.
Andreas Kublik
Editor
