After a solid debut in 2021, in which they scored a great Top-5 with Ryan Gibbons, the UAE Team Emirates returns to the Región de Murcia with one of its rising stars, and a young team capable of everything.
Brandon McNulty has become one of the great sensations of the international peloton. Born in Phoenix, Arizona, the 23-year-old rider shone in last year’s Vuelta al País Vasco, where he performed spectacularly and even wore the leader's jersey. Then, he was a key player in Tadej Pogacar’s victory in last year’s Tour of France, and came close to the medals in Tokio.
His youth will contrast with the experience of Diego Ulissi. The italian made his debut in 2010. Since then, he has won at least one race every year. Among then, we find up to 6 stage victories in the Giro d’Italia.
Last year, he overcame a miocarditis to extend his streak with a victory in Semana Ciclista Italiana and one stage of Tour of Slovenia.
Vegard Stake Laengen will be the oldest rider in the line-up. At 32 years old, the Norwegian rider has ridden for a great number of teams, which helped him to reach the World Tour Category in 2016, and earn a permanent place in his national team. Since 2015, he hasn’t missed a single World Championship. His biggest success was the national championship in 2018.
The rest of the team is composed by 22 and 23 years old riders. Alessandro Covi is one of them, and one of Italy’s brightest talent. He has showed an extraordinary level throughout 2021, and finished 3rd in the Tour of Sicily, very close to Vincenzo Nibali and Alejandro Valverde.
Andrés Camilo Ardila Ordoñez, winner of the Giro Ciclistico d'Italia Sub-23 in 2019 has struggle to adapt to professional cycling. Little by little, he is adapting to professional cycling and his level has been improving as the races go by.
The newcomer Alexys Brunel, third in the ITT French Championships, and Joel Suter, making his professional debut, complete the team that will take the start in Fortuna next 12th of February.
