UAE Team Emirates-XRG announces squad for the Bretagne Classic

UAE Team Emirates-XRG will line up for the Bretagne Classic on Sunday afternoon, with the likes of Jan Christen, Isaac del Toro and Brandon McNulty all ready to defend the team’s title from 2024. Beginning and ending in Plouay, the 89th instalment of this French one-day race will test the peloton with another hilly course that suits the climbers.

At 261.7km in length, the Bretagne Classic poses no easy day in the saddle, and the 4,834m of elevation gain is akin to a Grand Tour mountain stage. As such, it is a race where the pure climbers can often flourish, as shown by Felix Großschartner’s third-place finish for UAE Team Emirates-XRG two years ago.

Heading into this year’s race as the defending champions, the Emirati squad will line up with a wealth of talent. Bringing the experience, Tim Wellens will make his eighth start at the Bretagne Classic, and on the other end of the spectrum, Isaac del Toro will make his race debut.

An explosive climber with nine wins to his name in 2025, the Mexican will be complemented in the hills by Jan Christen, Alessandro Covi, Brandon McNulty and Jhonatan Narváez. Ready to guide his teammates into the climbs, Vegard Stake Laengen’s work will be important early in the day to set the Emirati squad up for success.

The full UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad for the Bretagne Classic is as follows:
Jan Christen (SUI)
Alessandro Covi (Ita)
Isaac del Toro (Mex)
Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor)
Brandon McNulty (USA)
Jhonatan Narváez (Ecu)
Tim Wellens (Bel)

Leading the seven riders from the team car will be Sports Director Simone Pedrazzini, who will be able to call on the services of multiple in-form riders in Brittany.

As he builds towards the Canadian one-day Classics, Wellens heads into the race with a recent third-place finish at the Renewi Tour, whilst Narváez comes fresh off a stage win at the Lidl Deutschland Tour, which set him up for a second-place finish overall.

Between last week’s strong performers, Christen, Covi, Del Toro and McNulty, the Emirati squad has plenty of reasons to be optimistic heading into this next one-day test.

Up and down throughout the course of the afternoon, the route of the Bretagne Classic tracks west from Plouay, before and out-and-back course will take the riders back to the start town. Racking up a little under 5,000m of elevation gain, this year’s Bretagne Classic looks as hard as ever, proving only fitting for a region long associated with professional cycling.