UAE Team Emirates Gen Z welcomes five new talents for 2027

UAE Team Emirates Gen Z is pleased to announce five new additions to its roster for the 2027 season, with Simon Defrance (FRA), Václav Ježek (CZE), Riccardo Lorello (ITA), José Emilio Rodríguez (MEX) and Luca Martinez (ESP) set to join the team.

The five riders arrive from different stages of the development pathway, bringing together some of the most promising junior talent with riders already making their mark at U23 level. Their arrival continues the growth of the Gen Z project and its objective of identifying and developing young riders within the wider UAE Team Emirates-XRG structure.

Simon Defrance joins the team following an outstanding final season in the junior ranks. The 18-year-old Frenchman has emerged as one of the standout juniors of 2026.

Defrance claimed the French Junior Road Championship during a prolific domestic and international campaign before producing the biggest result of his young career at the UCI Road World Championships in Montréal. On a demanding Mont-Royal circuit, Defrance claimed an impressive silver medal, finishing behind Spanish winner Benjamin Noval.

The result capped a breakthrough season which led to his step into the U23 ranks with Gen Z in 2027.

At 21 years of age, Václav Ježek arrives as one of the more established riders of the incoming group following an impressive breakthrough season on the road. Having previously competed extensively in cyclocross, the Czech rider shifted his focus fully towards road racing in 2026 and quickly demonstrated his potential as a stage racer.

Ježek took overall victory at the Tour of Hellas earlier in the season before impressing against high-level professional opposition with seventh overall at the Czech Tour, including two fourth-place stage finishes.

He followed that performance by becoming the first Czech rider to win the West Bohemia Tour, confirming his progression and marking himself out as an exciting stage-racing prospect for the future.

Riccardo Lorello joins after continuing his development in the Italian U23 ranks with SC Padovani Polo Cherry Bank. The 20-year-old enjoyed a strong 2026 campaign, collecting three victories during the season alongside a number of strong placings, performances which earned him selection for the Italian national team at the prestigious Tour de l’Avenir.

He further demonstrated his potential with third place on a stage of the Tour de l’Avenir before earning selection to represent Italy in the U23 road race at the World Championships in Montréal. With two seasons already completed at U23 level, Lorello arrives at Gen Z with a strong base of experience and strong room for further development.

José Emilio Rodríguez represents another exciting addition to the programme. The 18-year-old Mexican joins from A.R. Monex, the development structure which has helped a number of Latin American talents make the transition into European racing.

Rodríguez has spent much of 2026 competing in Europe and has steadily built an impressive body of results. Among his standout performances was second overall at the GP West Bohemia, where he finished on the same overall time as the winner, along with second place at the UCI-ranked Trofeo Emozione in Italy.

His performances earned him selection to represent Mexico at the Junior World Championships in Montréal, and he will now make the transition from the junior ranks into the Gen Z U23 setup for 2027.

Spanish junior Luca Martinez completes the group and will also make the step into the U23 category with Gen Z. The 18-year-old from Pamplona has developed through the Spanish junior ranks and has demonstrated consistency across both one-day and stage racing.

Martinez finished fifth at the Spanish Junior Road Championships and recorded two second-place stage finishes on his way to seventh overall at the Volta Castelló.

His performances earned him selection to represent Spain at the Junior World Championships in Montréal, before he went on to finish 14th at the Junior European Championships. With Martinez still at an early stage of his development, the Gen Z programme will provide him with the opportunity to continue his progression as he adapts to U23 racing.

The five additions further strengthen the international identity of the Gen Z project, with riders from France, Czechia, Italy, Mexico and Spain joining the development squad for 2027.