Team Emirates name squad for Tour of Spain

ABUDHABI: Uae team emirates have named 8 riders for the final Grand Tour of the year – La Vuelta Espana.

The race will depart from Utrecht, in the Netherlands on Aug.19 before making its way South to the Spanish mainland and ending in Madrid on the 11 September over a course distance of 3280km.

The team goes into the race with a dynamic squad who will aim to be protagonists across multiple terrains, with Joao Almeida capable of a strong showing in the GC and Pascal Ackermann leading the line in the sprints.

The race will also see the Grand Tour debut of 19 year old Spanish talent Juan Ayuso who will be the youngest rider in the race.

Team Manager Matxin Fernandez along with Sports Directors Andrej Hauptman and Manuele Mori will lead the 8 riders.

The 24-year-old is set to make his Vuelta a Espana debut at this edition, having only ever raced at the Giro. He is yet to win a Grand Tour stage, too, but he has the potential to alter that record.

Almeida said: “It’s my first Vuelta and I’m really excited to get started. The past few months have not been straighforward and my condition has not been 100%. At Vuelta Burgos it finished on a high-note and it was a good boost for the confidence to take the win on the last day. I felt like a rode myself into that race.

“I’m feeling good again on the bike and with a strong team I think we can do some really nice things at this race.

It’s hard to say what to expect but I think the objectives can become clearer as the race goes on. It will be a long road from Utrecht to Madrid but I’m really looking forward to the challenge,” he added.

Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-visma) is the defending Vuelta champion, having won the race a remarkable three years in a row, from 2019 to 2021.

Former winners chris fr oo me( israel-premier Tech), Nairo Quintana (Arkéa-samsic), Simon Yates (Bikeexchange-jayco) and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) will also all be lining up for the race.

Despite the considerable success Roglic has experienced at the Vuelta in recent years, he arguably still has a point to prove at this edition due to a disappointing Tour de France, which is still proving ever-elusive for the Slovenian.

Granted, Roglic is a three-time successive winner looking for his fourth victory in as many years, but victory doesn’t seem as nailed on as it perhaps should for a rider with his palmares.

Meanwhile, tim well ens has put pen to paper on a new contract to join UAE Team Emirates as part of a two year deal which will see him with the squad through to the end of 2024.

The 31 year-old from Sint Truiden in Belgium has a stellar palmares with no fewer than 34 professional victories, among them 4 stage wins at Grand Tours. The Flandrien will aim to build on that over the coming seasons.

Well ens :“At er ten great years with my former team I decided it was time for a new challenge. I feel like I’m joining a truly global team at UAE Emirates with a really professional structure and a lot of ambition. I’m very excited to get started and be part of the squad for 2023 and beyond.”

Mauro Gianeti (Team Principal & CEO): “We are very pleased to welcome Tim into our team for next year. We all know what he is capable of and believe that he will be the right fit for our structure as we continue to reinforce the team for the coming years.”