UAE Team Emirates

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UAE Team Emirates

(Image credit: UAE Team Emirates)

UAE Team Emirates is a new name in the pro peloton for 2017, although the roots of the team actually stretch back to 1991, making it one of the longest-running squads.

The then Italian-registered squad rode under the Lampre name and with various secondary sponsors throughout the 1990s and 2000s: Lampre-Panaria, Lampre-Fondital and Lampre-Merida among them.

In recent years, though, Lampre's former distinctive pink, blue and green kit perhaps stood out more than any individual rider.

Former world champion Rui Costa and Italian Diego Ulissi were the biggest stars signed to the team, that is, before Tadej Pogačar decided to win two Tour de France titles in successive years while still in his early 20s. 

The team very nearly did not gain a place in the 2017 WorldTour after a Chinese backer failed to come up with sponsorship money. A last-minute deal struck with Abu Dhabi saw the squad saved, and a place in the WorldTour secured. Emirates airline joined the team as co-title sponsor in February 2017.

The team did start to pick up some big wins though and with a growing budget they started to bring in some big names and very promising youngsters.

Pogačar signed from Continental team Ljubljana-Gusto, immediately started putting in top performances, taking third overall at his first Grand Tour in the Vuelta.

In 2021, he continued to impress with multiple race victories, including Monument victories in Liège–Bastogne–Liège and Il Lombardia, the team's first Monument race wins since 2008. However, the Slovenian rider wasn't the only UAE Team Emirates member picking up wins last season. 

Joe Dombrowski won stage four of the Giro d'Italia, while Rafał Majka triumphed on stage 15 of the Vuelta a España.

The addition of Marc Soler to the squad will help add some stability and race craft, while João Almeida is an exciting Portuguese rider many are expecting to showcase his considerable talent in 2022. 

Pascal Ackermann (GER)
João Almeida (POR)
Andres Camilo Ardila (COL)
Juan Ayuso (ESP)
George Bennett (NZL)
Mikkel Bjerg (DEN)
Alexys Brunel (FRA)
Alessandro Covi (ITA)
Rui Costa (POR)
Finn Fisher-Black (NZL)
Davide Formolo (ITA)
Fernando Gaviria (COL)
Ryan Gibbons (RSA)
Felix Groß (GER)
Marc Hirschi (SUI)
Álvaro Hodeg (COL)
Vegard Stake Laengen (NOR)
Rafał Majka (POL)
Brandon McNulty (USA)
Yousif Mirza (UAE)
Juan Sebastián Molano (COL)
Ivo Oliveira (POR)
Rui Oliveira (POR)
Tadej Pogačar (SLO)
Jan Polanc (SLO)
Maximiliano Richeze (ARG)
Marc Soler (ESP)
Joel Suter (SUI)
Matteo Trentin (ITA)
Oliviero Troia (ITA)
Diego Ulissi (ITA)

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