UAE Team Emirates-XRG prepares for pivotal week of Italian cycling classics
The Emirati professional cycling team will compete across four prestigious one-day races in Italy, with Brandon McNulty leading the charge as newly crowned world champion.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG is set to contest a demanding schedule of Italian cycling classics over the coming seven days, beginning with the Giro dell’Emilia on Saturday, 3 October. The opening fixture will see Brandon McNulty leading a formidable squad that includes Igor Arrieta, Filippo Baroncini, Felix Großschartner, Jhonatan Narváez, Tim Wellens and Adam Yates.
The team’s attention will swiftly turn to the Coppa Agostoni on Sunday, 4 October, a race where UAE Team Emirates-XRG has enjoyed remarkable recent success. The Emirati squad has claimed victory in three consecutive editions, courtesy of Adam Yates in 2025, Marc Hirschi in 2024, and Davide Formolo in 2023. Yates’s triumph last year proved particularly commanding, achieved through an audacious 17.5-kilometre solo effort that showcased his formidable climbing prowess. The British rider’s recent performances in Canada suggest he arrives in excellent condition for another assault on this demanding terrain.
Monday will bring the 107th edition of the Coppa Bernocchi, an event where the team will be keen to restore its customary position among the podium contenders. Last year’s race marked an uncharacteristic absence of a top-ten UAE Team Emirates-XRG finisher, providing clear motivation for redemption.
The week concludes with the 105th running of Tre Valli Varesine on Tuesday, 6 October. This prestigious one-day classic carries particular significance for the team, having been won by Tadej Pogačar in 2025—his second triumph at the race. McNulty, now bearing the prestigious title of world champion, will lead the defence of this honour, supported by Baroncini, Benoît Cosnefroy, Luca Giaimi, Narváez, Pavel Sivakov and Wellens.
Commencing in Busto Arsizio, Tre Valli Varesine presents a substantial 198.3-kilometre challenge concluding in Varese. The route features nearly 3,000 metres of climbing, with the renowned Ronchi ascent joined by formidable obstacles at Cinque Piante, Luvinate and Casciago. Victory will be decided following six circuits of the finishing loop, with the champion crowned on Via Sacco in Varese’s city centre.
Source: WAM