UAE Team Emirates-XRG heads to Tour de Luxembourg with Brandon McNulty in fine form

Fresh off the back of his outstanding victory at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, Brandon McNulty has taken a one-way ticket to Europe to lead UAE Team Emirates-XRG at the Skoda Tour de Luxembourg. The American is no stranger to the five-day stage race, having finished as the runner-up behind then-teammate Marc Hirschi in 2023.

The Swiss rider’s victory two years ago was the Emirati squad’s second, with Diego Ulissi also picking up the title in 2020. Returning to the race in which Juan Ayuso claimed a fine stage victory last season, UAE Team Emirates-XRG will be hoping to taste more success this time out.

McNulty’s win in Canada was the 85th of the season for the team, equalling the all-time season victory record of Team Columbia-HTC from 2009. Going into the five-day Tour de Luxembourg, then, McNulty and his teammates are on the brink of creating history with one more win.

Joining the time trial specialist in Luxembourg will be Nils Politt and Jhonatan Narváez, both of whom have also made the trip from Canada, and the soon-to-be retired Rafał Majka, who will be hoping to bid adieu to stage racing in style. The six-man UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad will be completed by Igor Arrieta, who took his first professional victory earlier this season, and Pablo Torres, who helped Isaac del Toro to two victories in Italy over the past week.

Their instructions from the team car will come from the Sports Director duo, Fabrizio Guidi and Andrej Hauptman.

Beginning on Wednesday, 17 September, and ending on Sunday, 21 September, this year’s Tour de Luxembourg has all the ingredients to produce another close contest.

The race begins in the capital city with a 152.8km stage to Fëschmaart. From the off, the battle for seconds will likely prove pivotal in the general classification, with the Spuerkeess Bonus Sprint offering an incentive some 51km out from the finish, and an 800m uphill kick to the line deciding the day’s honours.

Perhaps not enthused by a tricky opening day, the sprinters will get their chance on stage 2, with a flat course from Remich to Mamer offering their first chance to impress. The final kilometre of the stage is completely straight, with the finish line set in front of the old house of the late two-time Tour de France winner, Nicolas Frantz. Frantz won 20 stages of the Grande Boucle in his storied career.

Stage 3 is the Queen stage of the race and features a highly-anticipated finish at the Vianden Castle, where 18% gradients will await the riders on the cobbled climb to the line. The climbing is not saved just for the finish, however, with three ascents of the steep Niklosbierg adding extra spice to a day with 3,248m of climbing across the 170.5km route.

The following day will take the riders from Oberanven to Niederanven for the all-important individual time trial. The 26.3km course looks to be a quick one and will favour the likes of McNulty when it comes to challenging for the top honours.

To round out the race, event president and former Tour de France winner, Andy Schleck, has designed a tricky parcours from Mersch to Luxembourg-Limpertsberg. The 176.4km route has over 3,000m of climbing and features ascents of Nommern, Gralingen, Kautenbach, Misärshaff, and Pabeierbierg. The latter is particularly steep and will be climbed three times on the closing circuit around Luxembourg City.

Expect stage 5 to provide an entertaining conclusion to this year’s edition.

Meanwhile, UAE Team Emirates-XRG will also have the chance to add to its route tally in Belgium on Wednesday afternoon, with a seven-rider squad preparing to hit out at the Grand Prix de Wallonie. With a mix of youth and experience on display, the Emirati squad will hope to improve on Tim Wellens’ sixth place from last season.

Wellens will be in attendance once again, and certainly has the know-how to go well in this one-day semi-Classic. The Belgian won the race in 2017 and will have an excellent set of teammates for this mid-week outing.

Davide Stella and Luca Giaimi will bring a fresh dose of energy from the Gen Z ranks, whilst Rune Herregodts, Julius Johansen, Rui Oliveira and Florian Vermeersch will round out the team from the WorldTour squad.

Sports Directors Fabio Baldato and Jan Polanc will take the reins from the team car, both for the Grand Prix de Wallonie and Saturday’s SUPER 8 Classic.

Also contested in Belgium, the SUPER 8 Classic brought Filippo Baroncini’s first professional win for UAE Team Emirates-XRG last season, and the Emirati squad will be back to defend its title. Herregodts, Johansen, Oliveira, Wellens, Giaimi and Stella will continue on from Wallonie, with António Morgado coming in to the side to replace Vermeersch on Saturday.

On a wave of momentum from multiple wins in the Italian semi-Classics, the Vuelta a España and of course, McNulty’s victory in Montréal, UAE Team Emirates-XRG will hope to continue in the same fashion across Luxembourg and Belgium this week.