No Pogi, but still a party: UAE Emirates-XRG names 5 (!) leaders for Paris-Nice and Tirreno in Pogacar’s Absence

For Paris-Nice, the team has named three clear leaders: João Almeida, Pavel Sivakov, and Brandon McNulty—who finished third last year. Meanwhile, South Americans Juan Sebastián Molano and Jhonatan Narváez will target stage wins, while Ivo Oliveira and Nils Politt will take on the role of workhorses in the Race to the Sun.

"It’s been a great start to the season," says Almeida. "Both for the team and for myself. We've already secured several wins and have been competitive in every race we entered. We aim to continue that in Paris-Nice, where I want to test myself against the best riders in the race and go for a strong result."

"My form is good after the Volta ao Algarve," Almeida continues, noting that he will once again face Jonas Vingegaard—just as he did in Portugal. "I’ve recovered well from that race and have kept training to stay sharp. Now, I feel ready to give it my all in Paris-Nice."

Meanwhile, over in Italy, the team will rely on Adam Yates and Juan Ayuso. The latter is in top form, as evidenced by his recent victories in France and Laigueglia. Now, he’s aiming for more success at Tirreno-Adriatico. "Since the start of the season, I’ve said that Tirreno-Adriatico would be one of my major goals this spring, so I’m really looking forward to it. We’ve had a great start to the year as a team, and I’m happy to say I’ve contributed to that with a few wins," said Ayuso.

"There’s a winning mentality within the team, and that gives us extra motivation," he continued. "Adam (Yates, ed.) and I can both go far in the general classification. I love this race and am looking forward to what will hopefully be a great week." Isaac Del Toro, Felix Großschartner, Rafał Majka, Domen Novak, and Rui Oliveira will provide support.

João Almeida
Brandon McNulty
Sebastián Molano
Jhonatan Narváez
Ivo Oliveira
Nils Politt
Pavel Sivakov  

Juan Ayuso
Isaac del Toro
Felix Großschartner
Rafał Majka
Domen Novak
Rui Oliveira
Adam Yates