UAE Team Emirates-XRG have announced the contract extension of Adam Yates, with the British rider staying on board through the 2028 season on a three-year deal.
The move means that the team now has six riders under contract until at least 2028 season. Juan Ayuso si also signed up until 2028, with UAE having rejected an advance for the Spaniard from XDS-Astana over the winter.
Promising Mexican GC rider Isaac Del Toro is under contract through 2029. 19-year-old Spaniard Pablo Torres – a runner-up at the Giro Next Gen and Tour de l’Avenir last season – and 20-year-old Swiss puncheur Jan Christen are both signed up through the end of the 2030 season.
Of course, UAE’s superstar rider Tadej Pogačar last year signed a reported €50 million extension to keep him on board through the end of 2030.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG have the strongest Grand Tour and stage race roster in the men’s peloton, with most riders locked under contract for at least the next three years. João Almeida’s contract ends after 2026 but his future has still to be decided.
The move to keep 32-year-old Yates on board “marks a commitment to experience, depth, and leadership”, the team said, with the Briton set to join Ayuso as co-leader at the upcoming Giro d’Italia.
Yates joined the team from Ineos Grenadiers for the 2023 season, finishing third at the Tour de France that summer and also wearing yellow after winning the opening stage. He has also racked up wins at the GP de Montréal, Tour de Romandie, Tour de Suisse, and Tour of Oman (twice) in his time at UAE.
“It’s a great feeling to extend my time with UAE Team Emirates-XRG,” Yates said. “I’ve felt at home here from day one. The team environment, support staff, and ambition all align perfectly with where I want to be in my career.
“I’m excited for what the next few years will bring.”
The team also announced that Austrian racer Felix Großschartner has signed up to extend his contract through the end of the 2027 season. The 31-year-old was part of the support squad behind Pogačar’s Giro d’Italia victory last season.
He, along with the aforementioned riders plus Mikkel Bjerg, Brandon McNulty, Antonio Morgado, Domen Novak, Marc Soler, and Jay Vine, is among 13 riders confirmed with UAE contracts for 2027.
“Renewing with UAE Team Emirates-XRG was an easy decision,” Großschartner said.
“I’ve developed a lot here, both as a rider and a teammate, and I believe we have even more to achieve together. I’m proud to be part of such a motivated and forward-thinking group.”
