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Although Taj Pogacha is an automatic lock Tour de Francethe leadership problem is Emirates Team Emirates Other grand tours around next year look more fluid.
One option the team is discussing internally is to field several GC co-leaders for the Grand Tour and other major stages in 2023, including João Almeida, Juan Ayuso, Davide Formolo, Brandon McNulty, Marc Soler and newly signed Adam Yates. Rotate throughout the WorldTour calendar as teams look to establish themselves as the top team in the UCI rankings.
The team took such an approach heading into this year’s Spanish Ring, with Ayuso, Almeida and McNulty all having the opportunity to identify and build their own GC bids. McNulty fell ill and while Ayuso came out on top with a solid podium finish, Almeida bounced back from his COVID-battered season to finish in the top five.
Also read: Analysis: How important is 2023 to Brandon McNulty’s Tour ambitions?
The teams will hold their first playoff gathering in Abu Dhabi next week. From there, preliminary plans will be drawn up ahead of the announcement of the big tour itinerary, which will become more concrete.
One of the biggest challenges for fleet management will be balancing the need for collective success with the individual desires of drivers who can all claim to be legitimate GC contenders.
“We have a very good structure. If you look at this year, Almeida has a very good space for the Giro d’Italia. He has coronavirus, but so is Ayuso in the Vuelta. Make a program for everyone It’s important. So maybe we have co-leaders in some games, but that makes us stronger,” Joxon Fernandez told Reuters speed news.
“We give new drivers options when joining one of the best teams in the world. It’s not about getting first or second or third place in the team. It’s about creating the best calendar and sport for all drivers Spacing and then making sure we remain competitive throughout the season. From the first game to the last. It’s about having a balanced squad.”
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It’s clear that recruit Adam Yates will be the centerpiece of the team going forward. His pedigree and consistency for a week has made him one of the best riders in the world and is sure to win important UCI points. However, the British climber’s position on the GC side of the main circuit is less clear.
He is capable of challenging major results, and one theory is that he will lead all the week-long races he plays that do not overlap with Pogaza’s involvement. Again, in the first training camp of the offseason, a lot of things will be discussed and worked out.
“We had a training camp in the UAE in October. It was our first contact with new drivers and a chance to fit in with sponsors. The first conversation with Adam was positive, I spoke to him. I know him level and where he can get his chances, but we will discuss his and the team’s ideas in Abu Dhabi next month,” Fernandes said.
“After that week, we will have a final calendar for next year. There will be a lot of changes to next year’s calendar as Worlds and other competitions go on, and we don’t know what will happen next year with COVID, so there are still a lot of questions to answer. The plan will be more concrete after we have analyzed the schedule and we will decide for Adam Yates which tour he will play and his place on the team.”
The release locations of Ayuso and Almeida are also unclear.
Given their trajectories and Almeida’s unfinished career in Italy, the two riders’ tilt at the Giro makes sense, but Fernandez said McNulty could have a chance at the same race together. Ahead, the pecking order may become slightly crowded.
When asked about Almeida and Ayuso, Fernandez said: “I don’t know. The most important race is the Tour de France, as I said, to provide movement for riders like Ayuso and Almeida Space is important. We believe in our young talents and their quality. I think Ayuso is the main talent of the future and he deserves everything he does at the Vuelta. He has played in four games, at Catalonia Ya finished 5th, then 1st in Romandie and top 10 again in Dauphine. His 4th WT race is Vuelta, so we trust him. We’ll make a custom calendar for him.”
The first training camp in Abu Dhabi will be an important stepping stone for the team heading into 2023.
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