UAE Team Emirates-XRG remains focused on securing victory in the Giro d’Italia with Juan Ayuso and/or Adam Yates leading the charge. Sports director Fabio Baldato shared insights with Cyclingnews on Sunday after the team’s initial three days in Albania, acknowledging the impressive performance of young talent Isaac Del Toro but emphasizing that it won’t alter their strategic approach.
In recent times, Ayuso has emerged as a prominent contender for the Giro title. Despite facing a setback with a crash on the first day and a somewhat tense time trial on the second, the Spaniard is still in close contention for the general classification, trailing Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) by just 16 seconds.
Hot on his heels, merely a second behind the 22-year-old Ayuso, is Del Toro, competing in his second grand tour at the age of 21. His time trial performance was only one second off that of his leader, yet Baldato has decided to keep him in a support role. “The other two [Adam Yates and Ayuso] are our primary leaders, and he’s racing without any pressure,” Baldato explained. “However, should the need for his assistance arise, we hope he can step up to support the team.”
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Adam Yates is riding with remarkable strength
Although Adam Yates experienced a 20-second delay against Roglic compared to Ayuso in the time trial, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG is pleased with the first three days of the 32-year-old British cyclist. “He performed excellently. Analyzing the time splits on the climb, he matched Jay Vine’s time,” Baldato noted regarding the UAE rider who secured third place in Saturday’s time trial.
“I inquired with Adam on Saturday, and he expressed satisfaction with his performance. That climbing ability is a promising indicator,” the sports director remarked, indicating he isn’t overly worried about Ayuso’s time gap. “The Giro spans three weeks, and ultimately, it’s just 16 seconds—more or less what we anticipated. Some riders felt the impact of the first stage due to crashes, making it a challenging start. Ayuso may have aimed for a better time trial, but the crash on stage 1 affected his confidence on those treacherous, slippery roads. Safety should always come first.”
