The UAE Team Emirates has clarified its hierarchy for the upcoming season. Tadej Pogačar will be the undisputed leader of the Tour de France, aiming for his fifth yellow jersey, and will be joined by Mexican Isaac del Toro, who will make his debut in the Grande Boucle at 22 years old.
The Mexican, one of the great revelations of the last Giro d’Italia, will assume a learning and support role, with room to grow after a preseason schedule that includes the UAE Tour, Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo, Tirreno-Adriatico, Tour of the Basque Country, and Critérium du Dauphiné.
The schedule for the two-time world champion and four-time Tour de France winner, Tadej Pogačar, will be packed with major objectives from the start of the season. The Slovenian will begin his year at Strade Bianche, continue in Italy with Milan-San Remo, and then focus on the great northern classics: the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
His spring training block will conclude with Liège-Bastogne-Liège, omitting the Amstel Gold Race and Flèche Wallonne this time around. The big news comes before the Tour de France, with the inclusion of the Giro de Romandie and the Tour de Suisse, two races still missing from Pogačar’s palmarès. After this Swiss block, the two-time world champion will set his sights on the 2026 Tour de France as his main summer objective. The final part of the season will be defined later: with the World Championships circled in red, the question remains of a possible participation in the Vuelta a España.
João Almeida, meanwhile, will not be in France and will lead the team in the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España. Second in the last Vuelta and third in the 2023 Giro, the Portuguese rider will return to the Giro after starting the season in Valencia and the Algarve, and participating in Paris-Nice and the Volta a Catalunya. A clear division of roles that reinforces UAE’s ambition: to protect Pogačar in the Tour while giving Almeida leadership responsibilities in the other two Grand Tours.
THE LEADERS’ SCHEDULE
Isaac del Toro: “Competing in the Tour was a childhood dream, and now I’m going to be able to fulfill it. I’ll try to enjoy it, because it’s not about always being with Pogačar, but also about enjoying cycling. Competing in the Tour is necessary to learn the race and be able to try to win it someday. I don’t want to put pressure on myself, but of course I’d like to reach Tadej’s level someday. In the Tour, it’s more about learning than trying to play a more important role. It’s special to see a Mexican flag in the peloton; I feel very proud.”
Joao Almeida: “I like all races, and while looking for the best ones, I found this program that I love, and I’m looking forward to returning to the Giro. I don’t think Tadej needs me to win a Grand Tour. It’s better to maximize our results and victories if we go our separate ways.” It’s a smarter decision to do it this way. I feel I can do it, if everything goes well. There are guys stronger than me, but the strongest doesn’t always win. I’m looking forward to returning to the Giro, and it will be good to change up my schedule from time to time. The Vuelta would also be a main objective for me.”
Tadej Pogacar: “I’ll have a Classics program, starting the season at Strade Bianche; then Milan-San Remo, Flanders, Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and the Tour… and then we’ll see. Before the Tour, I’ll do two weeks of racing in Switzerland: the Tour de Romandie and the Tour de Suisse. I’m looking for new challenges. The years go by very quickly, and there aren’t many opportunities to win everything.
I also want to return to races like the Vuelta, which I haven’t won. I choose Roubaix because I’ve already won the Tour four times. I don’t race many days, around 60 a year. I prefer to win what I want in that time, rather than win twice as much over a longer period. I think it’s a good balance, and it helps me.” Now I’m facing the new year more or less as tired as everyone else.
During the holidays, I’ve been with family and friends, which can be very hectic times because time flies. Vingegaard can choose whatever he wants; I haven’t called him to ask if he’s going to the Tour or not. Not going to the Giro? I don’t guarantee anything, in my experience and in my mind, not even the Vuelta. Everything is open.
With Isaac Del Toro, we’ll have a great team. He has a different style of racing, and I hope he can continue to improve. If I win Paris-Roubaix and Milan-San Remo, I’ll have achieved most of my goals. Then it will be time to focus on the Vuelta. I think it would be possible to win all three Grand Tours in the same year, but it wouldn’t be fair to the other riders on the team, who also have their own goals.
We have to give them a chance. I wouldn’t say I’m afraid because every year the Tour is very competitive. Everyone is always 100% prepared for the Tour. All the teams always send their best riders. You always know the best will be at the Tour, and you have to be ready to face them all. I can’t finish my career without trying everything.
I want 2026 to be as good as, or better than, 2025.
Source: www.ciclo21.com