UAE Team Emirates has announced its roster for Tour de France 2024. The team is sending an experienced and strong line-up to compete on the roads of Italy and France. This year’s Tour de France will commence in Florence, Italy on Saturday, June 29 and UAE Team Emirates will be a force to be reckoned with from the very beginning.

UAE Team Emirates will be headed by two-time Tour de France Champion Tadej Pogacar, who recently won this year’s first Grand Tour – the Giro d’Italia. 25-year-old Pogacar recovered well from the Giro and intended to engage in a short, but focused build-up thereafter. However, Pogacar’s loving grandfather unfortunately passed away suddenly and the Slovenian rider then contracted Covid-19.

“It all happened very quickly, and I had to abandon my training to return to Slovenia because of the tragic event and the funeral,” Pogacar explained to Roadcycling.com. 

“When I returned from Slovenia with the intention of resuming the build-up training for the Tour de France, I contracted Covid. Fortunately, however, I only had one knock-out day, so I was able to use the home trainer until I was no longer contagious.”

“Winning the double is a big challenge, but physically I feel ready to win, though one is never completely sure if he’s totally ready for a three-week race. You also need luck, and you need the skills to be able to manage your mind through the constant stress. Winning one Grand Tour is already demanding, but I like taking on big challenges,” Pogacar said with a proud smile.

Pogacar is aiming to fight his way to a Giro-Tour de France double win, which has not been achieved by any cyclist since Marco Pantani in 1998.

While Pogacar is definitely able to deliver impressive performances in solo fashion, the Slovenian rider will be supported by seven experienced teammates in the Tour de France. 

The UAE Team Emirates line-up includes recent Tour de Suisse winner Adam Yates, who will offer strong support for Pogacar in the mountains. 31-year-old Yates adds significant experience to the team, while hoping to get a chance to fight for a stage victory himself if the circumstances allow it. 

“As a group I think we’re in a really good place and each of us knows what he has to do to support Tadej (Pogacar),” Adam Yates told Roadcycling.com. 

“We’re aiming for the General Classification win, and we know it’s possible if things go our way, so it is simply a matter of staying focused and pulling together all the way from Florence to Nice.”

Joining Pogacar and Yates is Joao Almeida, who is an excellent rider in all terrains and recently finished second in this year’s Tour de Suisse behind teammate Yates. The 25-year-old Portuguese rider won the youth classification in last year’s Giro d’Italia, so he possesses the skills needed to be able to take over the team lead from Pogacar if he is not sufficiently recovered from his win in this year’s Giro.

“It is my first ever Tour de France, which is exciting and I’m proud to be participating as part of a very strong team with big ambitions in the race,” Almeida explained to Roadcycling.com. “The Tour de Suisse was an excellent confidence booster for me, not least because of my two stage victories.”

As if having the support of Adam Yates and Almeida wasn’t enough for Pogacar, UAE Team Emirates’ roster for the 2024 Tour de France also includes Juan Ayuso. 21-year-old Ayuso won the youth classification in this year’s Tirreno-Adriatico and both the general classification and youth classification in the Itzulia Basque Country Tour. The Spaniard, however, had to abandon this year’s Criterium du Dauphine, which was intended as his preparation race for the Tour de France.

“Ever since I was a small child, I’ve dreamed of participating in the Tour de France, so to be about to start my first Tour de France feels amazing,” a passionate Ayuso told Roadcycling.com. “I will try to soak it all in as much as possible during the race, but we have a determined ambition and objection, which is to win the race. We’re arriving from a good training block at Isola.”

Instead of its traditional finish in Paris, this year’s Tour de France will conclude in Nice on July 21 because of the 2024 Olympic Games, which will take place in Paris.

Complete UAE Team Emirates roster for Tour de France 2024:

Tadej Pogacar, Adam Yates, Joao Almeida, Juan Ayuso, Pavel Sivakov, Marc Soler, Nils Politt, and Tim Wellens.

Stay tuned to Roadcycling.com for additional coverage from Tour de France 2024 and the rest of the 2024 pro cycling season.

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