UAE Team Emirates announced Monday that it will enlist the help of Rafal Majka and Marc Soler for Tadej Pogacar’s third overall Tour de France win. The most notable missing person from the roster is Marc Hirschi.
While working for Sunweb two years ago, Hirschi won the Tour de France stage and received the red number, the tour’s most challenging rider award. The 23-year-old Swiss also won a bronze medal in the World Cycling Championships that season, finishing second in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, but there is no place for him on the UAE Team Emirates Tour. †
With riders like Majka, Soler and also George Bennett and Matteo Trentin, Pogacar has a lot of experience around him during the Tour. The team looks stronger than Slovenia’s last two victories in 2020 and 2021.
Bennett, 32, from Jumbo-Visma last winter, was recruited by UAE Team Emirates to build a stronger roster around Pogacar. In addition to Bennett, Soler and Majka, Brandon McNulty can also be invaluable uphill.
United Arab Emirates Team Tour Squad Emirates
- Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia)
- Marc Soler (Spain)
- George Bennett (New Zealand)
- Brandon McNulty (US)
- Rafal Majka (Poland)
- Mikkel Bjerg (Denmark)
- Vegard Laengen Norway Share
- Matteo Trentino (Italy)
“It has been a positive year so far”
Pogacar will start his third Round on Friday as the absolute favorite. The 23-year-old was well prepared to take the overall victory in the Tour of Slovenia after winning Tirreno-Adriatico in March. “This year has been a positive year for the team so far and we look forward to continuing the Tour here,” UAE Team told the Emirates website on Monday.
Joxean Matxin Fernandez, the Spanish sporting director of UAE Team Emirates, points out that Pogacar has considerable competition in the yellow race. “The level of our competitors is very high, but we have full confidence in Pogacar,” said Fernandez.
The Tour de France starts on Friday with a time trial of 13 kilometers in the streets of the Danish capital Copenhagen. The tour ends on July 24 in Paris.
Everything about the Tour de France on our special page
Source: NU
Jason Jack is an experienced technology journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in computer science and engineering, he has a deep understanding of the latest technology trends and developments. He writes about a wide range of technology topics, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, software development, and cybersecurity.
