Tada, here we are: after reviewing all the WorldTour teams, UAE-Team Emirates is the last squad we're thoroughly examining through the lens of the 2023 cycling year. We can quickly turn our attention to 2024, but not before we've covered the multimillion-dollar team from the Emirates!
Well, where to begin? With Tadej Pogacar, of course! The Slovenian won this season's Tour of Flanders, Tour of Lombardy, Flèche Wallonne, and Amstel Gold Race. Apart from a fall in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, he didn't finish outside the top five in any one-day race he participated in. Whether it was in February in Spain, March in Belgium, at the World Championships in Scotland in August, or in Italy in October, Pogacar was always in contention for the prizes.
With the team's extensive roster, the focus wasn't entirely on Pogacar. Adam Yates clinched victory in the GP Montréal, and in smaller Italian races, riders like Marc Hirschi, Davide Formolo, and Sjoerd Bax dominated. Yet, fundamentally, it was mostly one man around whom the races revolved: Pogiboy, the cycling oracle from Slovenia, adept in all forms of racing.
Finishing third in the Giro (Joao Almeida), second and third in the Tour (Pogacar and Yates), and fourth in the Vuelta (Juan Ayuso) are achievements any team would envy, but we're talking about a squad with a two-time Tour de France winner among its ranks. With three stage wins in the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, and one stage victory in the Vuelta, the team was more than well-represented in every major tour.
However, the focus for UAE-Team Emirates is primarily on the Tour de France, where Pogacar and his team were expertly crushed by Jumbo-Visma. Though Pogacar had a less optimal lead-up due to his fall in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, you can bet that in Dubai they are already busy figuring out how to crack the Visma code next year.
Looking at the one-week WorldTour classics, one can't help but be astounded. Tour Down Under (Jay Vine), Renewi Tour (Tim Wellens), Paris-Nice (Pogacar), and Tour de Romandie (Yates) were won by different riders, while in most other one-week stage races, a UAE-Team Emirates cyclist was also on the podium. And that's simply impressive.
UAE-Team Emirates ended the year as the number one on the World Ranking, an important objective for the sheikhs from the Emirates. However, the bar is set very (too?) high, and our (former) members of the editorial team give the team of Pogacar a final score of 8.5 for the year 2023.
UAE-Team Emirates is continuing on the path set in recent years. The departure of seasoned climbing domestiques Davide Formolo and George Bennett has been immediately addressed with the acquisition of Pavel Sivakov from INEOS Grenadiers. Veteran Matteo Trentin also left, with German powerhouse Nils Politt arriving as his direct replacement.
Additionally, the team has opened a new can of young talents with four top prospects. Filippo Baroncini, a former under-23 world champion who had two less successful years, hopes to find his way back to the top at UAE. We also expect great things in the mountains from Spaniard Igor Arrieta, Portuguese Antonio Morgado, and Mexican Isaac del Torro.
With Pascal Ackermann's departure, the team loses a fast sprinter who hasn't been directly replaced by Matxin and his team. This indicates a focus shift for 2024 even more towards grand tours, as Ackermann seemed to be on a bit of a dead end already.
Incoming: Pavel Sivakov (INEOS Grenadiers), Nils Politt (BORA-hansgrohe), Filippo Baroncini (Lidl-Trek), Igor Arrieta (Equipo Kern Pharma), Isaac del Torro (A.R. Monex Pro Cycling Team) and Antonio Morgado (Hagens Berman Axeon)
Outgoing: Matteo Trentin (Tudor), Pascal Ackermann, George Bennett (Israel-Premier Tech), Felix Gross (Rad-Net), Davide Formolo (Movistar), Jan Polanc (retired) and Ryan Gibbons (Lidl-Trek)
This team is brimming with talent for the upcoming season. Just consider the group of 25-year-olds they have: Tadej Pogacar, Joao Almeida, Marc Hirschi, Alessandro Covi, Mikkel Bjerg, and Brandon McNulty. Each of these riders, experts in their respective fields, could be a force for another decade and might not even have reached their peak performance yet. And then there's the next generation, already waiting in the wings.
For instance, Juan Ayuso is only 21 years old, as is the robust New Zealander Finn Fisher-Black. Additionally, the team has recruited three new climbers - Igor Arrieta, Antonio Morgado, and Isaac del Torro - who have yet to reach their full potential. Then there are riders like Jay Vine and Pavel Sivakov, who still have potential to develop further, potentially in the style of an Adam Yates.
However, it seems the team is focusing even more on grand tours this year. While Pogacar will likely take on part of the spring classics, the team appears thinner in support for the Flemish races, barring Tim Wellens and Nils Politt. Perhaps, for tactical reasons, Pogacar would have benefited from having a faster teammate at his side? Regardless, these are considerations for 2025. With their current roster, UAE Team Emirates is set to make a significant impact next year, especially in the more challenging races where they boast an exceptionally broad and well-rounded squad.