UAE-Team Emirates thread

[YavorD]

With Narvaez and Sivakov out, these renews are important for UAE.
There are also important riders on the market.
Gall, Buitrago, Van Eetvelt, etc.

McNulty and Vermeersch commit futures to UAE Team Emirates-XRG - UAE team Emirates

The first UAE World Tour cycling team

www.uaeteamemirates.com

I don't think any of them would want to join UAE.
Limited chances in any race.

 

[Peter von]

I don't think any of them would want to join UAE.
Limited chances in any race.

yeah, but tbh we've been surprised in the past.

Some riders think so highly of themselves they reckon they can take Almeida/Del Torros spot as the 2nd GT rider and some riders just reckon they can take a year or two as a dom and make some bank and then return to a second tier team to ride for own chances.

 

[TheKidsCallMeBoss]

The UAE always gives all its riders a chance to win something throughout the season. It's only when Pogacar is racing that there's a clear leader.

The names mentioned above don't really make sense from the UAE's perspective. Ramírez is 100% guaranteed a promotion to the WT team next year. If I were the UAE boss, I’d be looking for riders like Denz or Affini & Frigo or De Plus.

 

[Rou]

18 victories so far this season while last year at this time they were at 25.
Non existent in Paris-Nice and Catalunya and it's very likely it will be the same in Basque Country.
I don't see them reaching 70 wins this year.

 

[Coppi-Bartali]

18 victories so far this season while last year at this time they were at 25.
Non existent in Paris-Nice and Catalunya and it's very likely it will be the same in Basque Country.
I don't see them reaching 70 wins this year.

And two of them are the Mexican national races that dind´t exist in 2025.

UAE's peak has passed; now it seems Decathlon's is coming, and BORA appears stronger as a team but without a stronger elader than UAE's.

Visma at its peak won Grand Tours, Omloop with his Tratnik, their seventh rider? A time trial world champioship with their fifht time trialist? UAE has won the Tour de Romandie and the Calisca de Jaen, Trofeo Matteoti. Overrated victories.

 

[Rob5091]

The Saudis are apparently pulling the plug on various sport sponsorship, and now the UAE is asking for financial help from the USA.
Pogi might have to pawn his watch!

 

[Unchained]

And two of them are the Mexican national races that dind´t exist in 2025.

UAE's peak has passed; now it seems Decathlon's is coming, and BORA appears stronger as a team but without a stronger elader than UAE's.

Visma at its peak won Grand Tours, Omloop with his Tratnik, their seventh rider? A time trial world champioship with their fifht time trialist? UAE has won the Tour de Romandie and the Calisca de Jaen, Trofeo Matteoti. Overrated victories.

Mexican races in 2026 that are new and UCI sanctioned.. Do tell...?

 

[Wyndbrook]

The Saudis are apparently pulling the plug on various sport sponsorship, and now the UAE is asking for financial help from the USA.
Pogi might have to pawn his watch!

Might be one he borrowed from Cav.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

The Saudis are apparently pulling the plug on various sport sponsorship, and now the UAE is asking for financial help from the USA.
Pogi might have to pawn his watch!

He might get lucky, Cycling in comparison is cheap, and the UAE still need their tourism.

 

[the asian]

He might get lucky, Cycling in comparison is cheap, and the UAE still need their tourism.

UAE certainly is in deep financial trouble. if they stop their reckless spending, and fall back with their budget , then it would be a big win for cycling. Don't want them to have every promising rider lining up for them.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

UAE certainly is in deep financial trouble. if they stop their reckless spending, and fall back with their budget , then it would be a big win for cycling. Don't want them to have very promising rider lining up for them.

True. Yet I don't know if spending in cycling is 'reckless' when you need advertising and PR. You can still run a very good cycling team on the salary of a few very good footballers. So when you cut your sports spending, maybe cycling isn't on the top of the list.
But it would certainly be good if the UAE super-super team thing would stop and all the talent spread out to more teams.

 

[YavorD]

UAE certainly is in deep financial trouble. if they stop their reckless spending, and fall back with their budget , then it would be a big win for cycling. Don't want them to have every promising rider lining up for them.

Don't think so. Another team will take over and do the very same thing. Cycling would be in the same spot, just the colors would be different.

 

[Coppi-Bartali]

True. Yet I don't know if spending in cycling is 'reckless' when you need advertising and PR. You can still run a very good cycling team on the salary of a few very good footballers. So when you cut your sports spending, maybe cycling isn't on the top of the list.
But it would certainly be good if the UAE super-super team thing would stop and all the talent spread out to more teams.

They would go to RED BULL BORA, which is already happening with Roglic, Lipowitz, Remco, Pellizzari, Finn.... Do you think they would go to Lotto? In fact, it's already being said that De Lie, supposedly Lotto's best rider, is going to BORA in 2027.
That's the opposite of spreading talent.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

They would go to RED BULL BORA, which is already happening with Roglic, Lipowitz, Remco, Pellizzari, Finn.... Do you think they would go to Lotto? In fact, it's already being said that De Lie, supposedly Lotto's best rider, is going to BORA in 2027.
That's the opposite of spreading talent.

Sure, they'd go to other big teams for sure. But it's not a given that all of them would go to the same teams, and some might stay at UAE or what would become of it. I was talking about spreading out to more teams, not spreading out to small teams.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Mexican races in 2026 that are new and UCI sanctioned.. Do tell...?

I presume he means the National championships (RR and TT) which are technically in the 2026 season, as they took place after the UCI's cut off date. The previous events were in 2024 before the cut off date.

However, at the date he wrote, UAE had 18 wins in the calendar year 2026 (ie, excluding the Mexican championship events).

 

[Unchained]

I presume he means the National championships (RR and TT) which are technically in the 2026 season, as they took place after the UCI's cut off date. The previous events were in 2024 before the cut off date.

However, at the date he wrote, UAE had 18 wins in the calendar year 2026 (ie, excluding the Mexican championship events).

Mexico didn't have sanctioned national championship races for many years here and there because they were unable to comply with UCI regulations.
Mexico is a very big country and holding national championship races is expensive and complicated. Often the fields will bring @60 riders for biggest categories while many others can field @25 riders if they are lucky.
Many masters races have less than 10 competitors in each category. Combining races is the norm. The hasty tossed together events were done with complete bias to Del Toro's schedule. Races were held in Ensenada BC in last weeks of October. Isaac would have won regardless of time of year, but extraordinary accommodations were made to have Mexico's best rider showcased at height of his popularity. The races were not professional sanctioned, There were only a few pros registered, from American and Mexican continental teams, majority of the field were there for the experience and didn't take themselves getting a result seriously. I am unaware of any UCI cut off date, instead it's a long observed tradition that winner of national championship can wear country's colors for upcoming racing season in pro categories.. I think the exception is Russian Federation.
The only thing wreckless about spending in bike racing comes from the lack of structure from UCI. Race fans and general public, other teams, sponsors, governments, races are turned off by the lack of parity in pro racing. Not only here, but there is a widely held opinion that UAE has too much power concentration because of funding, money that others don't have. Other sports saw the problem and took action, mostly in the way of salary caps to add competition. Cycling like always has waited until something is either broken or will break. If you are a government or race promoter, if you can't afford to attract UAE, if you are lucky, Pogacar included you are resigned to second or third tier status. Governments and promoters have to play a complicated game of trying to schedule a worthy race at a time when top talent don't have scheduling conflicts.. Yes there are races scheduled during all grand tours! Hard sell for fans and sponsors, best are at TDF so what will they get? Lol. Many races have built in prestige because top names use them for prep for Giro, TDF.
The UCI should do anything, everything in their power to see that Paul Seixas sign with anyone other than UAE which will be a huge turn off to fans and everyone else.. UCI better hope that UAE is on a downward trend because complete domination makes the sport less attractive. UCI instead of big legal battles about handlebars, socks, helmets and cassette sizes should work on fundamental elements of racing, why are only a couple of teams truly competitive? Everyone knows it, UCI does not want to talk about anything of substance.. Instead institutes stifling rules about technology, trying to limit things that are silly and unimportant! The reason that the national or Olympic team from Bali or Guatemala are not velodrome forces, the reason they are not winning major road races is not because they can't buy good bicycles!

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vA9gVGhmYsA&pp=ygUVVUNJIGJpa2UgcnVsZSBjaGFuZ2Vz

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

. I am unaware of any UCI cut off date,

Allow me:

Chapter I Calendar and participation
International calendar
2.1.001 .... As a general rule, the international calendar and the road cycling season shall start on
the day following the conclusion of the previous year’s final UCI World Championships
event or WorldTour event and end upon conclusion of the final UCI WorldTour or World
Championships event of the year in question.

instead it's a long observed tradition that winner of national championship can wear country's colors for upcoming racing season in pro categories..

so you do know that it is recognised by the UCI. You evidently knew plenty about the events you were questioning the existence of.

 

[Unchained]

Allow me:



so you do know that it is recognised by the UCI. You evidently knew plenty about the events you were questioning the existence of.

I was at all days of racing in Ensenada, nobody including Del Toro or 3-4 others who are paid to race thought they were at a professional race.
Regardless of what the completely inept UCI allowed to happen in Baja, majority of the racers either used their USCycling racing license or Mexican racing license to enter the event (s) it can't be portrayed as a pro race, a professional win for Del Toro and podium for Frayre, they both know it wasn't a pro race.
I don't stand corrected because of your comments or inclusion of UCI rules,

I was there, it wasn't a pro race, and at a pro race you need a professional license not a Cat, 3,4 or even some 5s were in the race..

Mexico doesn't use an accumulated points system like the US..if you have a license no race official will prevent you from racing. Back in the NORBA days they tried to enforce beginner, novice and expert..organizers gave up with no fanfare. The UCI has created another level of insult and joke by having gran fondos as legitimate races. There is no telling if the lack of qualifications and experience lead to all the serious injuries and deaths in fondo events.. I would be curious as to how many professional licenses are held in Mexico.. Del Toro, couple others who race with Petro, a few from Canel's and a few other riders sprinkled in Europe, would guess it's under @30 out of a country with a population of @135,000,000 .
I have personally witnessed national championship races in Panama, Belize and Jamaica.. None of the racers who won thought they were winning a professional bike race.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OIoJH4E2Ve4&pp=ygUZYmVsaXplIGN5Y2xpbmcgZmVkZXJhdGlvbgplaces

Subject is similar to the race that Del Toro won, Mexican federation allowed people who have dual citizenship to contest the race, no Mexican license. Because it's a national championship, if you can prove nationality that's enough in most places

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=buW8Cj7cJSE&pp=ygUbbWV4aWNvIGN5Y2xpbmcgY2hhbXBpb25zaGlw

Small field of mixed abilities.. Only a few people are pros, Del Toro raced with dignity and respect for others, he rode as easy as he possibly could, allowing many riders to stay in the race as long as possible. Because of the wind and climbing, even while he and 4 others went easy, they dropped everyone else.. There was close communication between top finishers and Del Toro raced to cooperate with them , not crush them as he obviously could with ease. The races were @99.99999% ceremonial.. There was nothing serious or professional about anything.
If the UCI says these are professional races..they are allowed to.. And I am allowed to know better..

View: https://m.youtube.com/shorts/Sgnr5gfjRaM

 

[Unchained]

When you see federations like Belgium, Holland, Germany, Italy, France with measurable numbers of licensed racers it's a totally different thing..
The UCI and the Olympics have ruined the games, ruined the spirit of the separation of amateur and professional athletes in my opinion.
Ironically the USPro national championships used to be combined with a race in Philadelphia, one of the original names was Core States Championship.. because of the small number of US citizens that held licenses, a foreign rider could win and the stars and stripes championship jersey was awarded to the first American finisher to cross..
If Mexico held a Mexico Professional Cycling Championship.. They would likely get less than @15-20 guys to show up. Why would you spend airfare, rent a car and hotel and support to race a hilly race against an on fire Isaac Del Toro, who just returned to Mexico after winning 8 WT level races in Europe in the couple of months before.. One win was a 5 stage race, Burgos..for almost everyone that would be a waste of time and money.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ikIGCWCfhR4&pp=ygUtcGhpbGlwcGluZSBjeWNsaW5nIG5hdGlvbmFsIGNoYW1waW9uc2hpcCAyMDI1

If the UCI and anyone else are calling these small federation races " professional " they just don't know better, don't know what one looks like.. Lol
This is championship for the PI

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

I never used the term professional: that's of your own introduction to the matter.
n.2 races are not considered professional, it does not mean that they are not UCI recognised.

But my basic point is that you seemed to deny the existence of races that were referred to as part of the count of team wins; you now have no excuse for doing so. Whether you wish to acknowledge your error or apologise for your tone towards Coppi-Bartali is entirely up to you.