UAE Team Emirates-XRG announces squads for one-day races in Spain

Although many eyes will be cast towards the Tour de France this weekend as it draws to a conclusion, the climbing tests will not be reserved solely for the Alps over the coming days. Indeed, over in Spain, UAE Team Emirates-XRG is preparing to contest a double-header of one-day races in the north of the country.

Between the Ordiziako Klasika and the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon, there is much up for grabs across Friday and Sunday, respectively. Up first will be the Ordiziako Klasika, otherwise known as the Prueba Villafranca, in the Basque Country. First held in 1922, this UCI 1.1 race is the longest-standing event in the Spanish calendar.

Across four starts at the race, the Emirati squad has never placed lower than fourth, taking victory in the last two editions through Marc Hirschi and Jan Christen. Making a fifth participation in a row at this year’s race, UAE Team Emirates-XRG will be led by the in-form Mexican, Isaac del Toro.

At the Clàssica Terres de l’Ebre on Monday afternoon, the 21-year-old claimed his fifth win in just two weeks, backing up his sensational form from the recent Tour of Austria. With an attack more than 30km out, Del Toro moved to 10 career victories in dominant style, and he will head into a Spanish block of racing full of confidence.

Del Toro: “We started this block of racing well with a victory and we’ll hope to continue that streak over the next races.

“We have a group of strong, attacking riders so the hilly profile at Ordizia is a good one for us.
I like the unpredictable dynamic of these one-day races and hopefully we can come home with some good results.”

Led by Sports Directors Tomas Gil and Jan Polanc, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad in the Basque Country will include a pair of Spaniards in Igor Arrieta and Pablo Torres, with Del Toro also joined by Alessandro Covi, Julius Johansen, António Morgado and Gen Z rider, Matthias Schwarzbacher.

Standing at 167.4km in length, the profile for the Ordiziako Klasika resembles a set of shark’s teeth, such is its up-and-down nature. The peloton will be challenged by 2,406m of elevation gain in total, with five ascents of the Abaltzisketa (2.9km at 7.3%) included. After a tough day of racing, 7km of downhill will guide the riders to the line in Ordizia after the final climb.

Two days after the Ordiziako Klasika, a young UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad will head to the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon on Sunday. Covi, Johansen, Morgado and Schwarzbacher will carry over from the Basque Country, whilst Rui Oliveira will join the ranks and so too will a pair of Gen Z talents in Marcos Freire and Davide Stella.

For Stella, the race will mark his debut in UAE Team Emirates-XRG colours, with the Emirati squad going in search of a first victory. The team’s previous best result came through George Bennett’s second place in 2022, with Rui’s brother Ivo Oliveira taking fifth last season.

Held in the Castile and León region of Spain, the one-day race was first held in 1985 and has been won by both versatile sprinters and pure climbers in the past. The three categorised climbs in the 201km route are all placed within the first half of racing, before a final 1.4km ramp to the line at Eras del Castillo will average a little over 7%.

That last kicker in Peñafiel will all but guarantee an explosive finish on Sunday afternoon, as the successor to Caleb Ewan is crowned.