UAE Team Emirates-XRG confirm squads for Opening Weekend Classics

UAE Team Emirates-XRG is pleased to announce its lineup for four must-see one-day Classics across France and Belgium, with the traditional ‘Opening Weekend’ welcoming in this year’s spring Classics.

In Belgium, the Emirati squad will tackle Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday, 1 March, before turning tact to Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne on Sunday, 2 March. Jhonatan Narváez will make his European season debut as the Ecuadorian national champion, whilst Tim Wellens will hope to continue his good form from the Vuelta a Andalucía.

Clocking in at a little under 200km in length, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is one of the most hotly-anticipated races of the season, with fans getting their first opportunity to see the Classics stars going head to head on the cobbles. With a finale that includes both the Muur van Geraardsbergen and the Bosberg – reminiscent of the old Tour of Flanders route – Omloop often provides one of the most exciting contests of the spring.

Last year was no different, with UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s Nil Politt attacking within the final 10km and making it to the finish alongside eventual winner Jan Tratnik. Politt’s bravery on the day preceded a fine spring Classics campaign in which the German also scored seventh at the E3 Saxo Classic, third at the Tour of Flanders and fourth at Paris-Roubaix.

Looking forward to his 10th appearance on Opening Weekend, Politt was in high spirits to take on Omloop and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.

Politt: “For Opening Weekend there is always a special feeling and a special atmosphere in Flanders. I think we have a really strong team and I think we can perform as good as last year where we had two podiums. If you look at our team I think you have many guys who can be present in the finals of these races which makes a big difference for the results and we will aim to be fighting for podiums.”

Politt will be joined on the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad start line by teammate Wellens, who finished third at this race in 2019. The two rouleurs will form a strong UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad for the race alongside the following riders:

 
Mikkel Bjerg (Den)
Rune Herregodts (Bel)
António Morgado (Por)
Jhonatan Narváez (Ecu)
Nils Politt (Ger)
Florian Vermeersch (Bel)
Tim Wellens (Bel)

As for Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne on Sunday, the course is significantly flatter and should provide the usual melee that sees the sprinters pitted against the opportunists. Most of the day’s climbing falls within the middle of the parcours, before the Kluisberg marks the final high point with some 58km left to ride. From here to the finish, there is often a drag race between those who have attacked off the front, and the sprinters who are desperate to make up ground.

At the head of the race once more, UAE Team Emirates-XRG played a pivotal role in the 2024 edition, with Tim Wellens going clear alongside Wout van Aert and Oier Lazkano on the Côte de Trieu. Their three-up move would last until the finish, where Wellens sprinted to second behind Van Aert.

As with Politt, Opening Weekend marked just the beginning of a strong spring campaign for Wellens in 2024, with the Belgian also taking fourth at the E3 Saxo Classic and third at De Brabantse Pijl.

Fifth in the 2023 Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne and runner-up last time out, Wellens is keen to leave his mark on the first spring tests once more.

Wellens: “Being from Belgium this period of the season is always very special and exciting for me. I believe our classics team continues to evolve year on year and I think we  go into the races with a very strong team with the possibility to do great things. This year we will be one of the main favourites in these races compared to other years. We’ve had a very strong start to the year and the atmosphere is very good so we’ll hope to keep that going. The weather is also looking to be favourable, so that’s always a nice bonus for the opening weekend.”

Joining Wellens on the Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne start line will be Narváez, a rider who is no stranger to animating the Belgian one-day. Back in 2021, the Ecuadorian delivered a breakout display in a long-range attack alongside Mathieu van der Poel. Although the pair were caught in the finale, the experience gave Narváez both the confidence to target the Classics, and a love for the unpredictability of these races.

“I think that if you don’t enjoy the chaos of the Classics, you just don’t enjoy cycling. You have to enjoy the adrenaline to be a cyclist,” he told the team earlier this year.

Ready to attack the race once again, Narváez will be part the following UAE Team Emirates-XRG roster for Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne:

 
Mikkel Bjerg (Den)
Rune Herregodts (Bel)
Jhonatan Narváez (Ecu)
Rui Oliveira (Por)
Nils Politt (Ger)
Florian Vermeersch (Bel)
Tim Wellens (Bel)

Meanwhile, away from the cobbles of Belgium, some of UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s finest climbers will be testing their legs on a French double-header. With the Faun-Ardèche Classic on Saturday, 1 March, and the Faun Drome Classic quick on the heels on Sunday, 2 March, there will be plenty of room reserved for exciting racing across the border.

First up on Saturday, UAE Team Emirates-XRG will hope to retain their title from the 2024 edition, with last year’s winner of the Faun-Ardèche Classic, Juan Ayuso, on the start line once again.

Ayuso: “It’s been a great winter of training so far and I can’t wait to get the racing started. Last year I was flying at these races but obviously my main objectives this year come a bit later in the season. These first races will be more of a test of the legs and return to the rhythm of racing for the first main objective of the season which will be Tirreno-Adriatico. Given the strength of the team we’ll have many cards to play so I’m excited to get back in the team environment and race with the guys again.”

The Spaniard will be making his season debut on Saturday, as he looks to build his campaign towards the Giro d’Italia in May. Ayuso is not the only former winner on the startlist for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, with the American Brandon McNulty ready to build on his strong start to the 2025 campaign.

The 26-year-old won this race with a spectacular solo attack in 2022 and with fifth place in February’s Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, McNulty began this season in good stead. With recent Volta ao Algarve stage winner Jan Christen, and 10th-placed finisher at last year’s Faun-Ardèche Classic, Igor Arrieta, also in the UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad, the Emirati side is well placed for the French hills.

Faun-Ardèche Classic is the slightly tougher test, with the riders tasked with 3,000m of climbing across less than 170km, but the Faun Drome Classic packs a punch in its own right and saw UAE Team Emirates-XRG score first and second across the line last season. With Marc Hirschi the winner, Ayuso backed up his Faun-Ardèche Classic victory with second place.

The Spaniard will make up a powerful UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad for the two French one-days alongside the following:

 
Igor Arrieta (Spa)
Juan Ayuso (Spa)
Jan Christen (Swi)
Isaac Del Toro (Mex)
Julius Johansen (Den)
Brandon McNulty (USA)
Matthias Schwarzbacher (Gen Z) (SLK)

The full schedule in France and Belgium is as follows: