2025 Edition
The history
The last Italian World Tour team now rides under Arab colours, backed by financing from the Persian Gulf: the United Arab Emirates and the Dubai-based airline Fly Emirates. This has been one of the classic names in international cycling over the past decades and will participate in La Vuelta for the 27th time since its debut in 1990. Throughout its long history, the squad has accumulated an impressive 33 stage wins, beginning their victory tally in 1993, with a win by Ukrainian rider Sergei Outschakov and three wins by Uzbekistan sprinter Djamolidine Abdoujaparov. Upon their return in 1999, they put the then-unknown African cycling on the map with Robert Hunter’s historic success in Benidorm. From that year on, they continued to secure victories with such varied and well-known riders as Gilberto Simoni and Mariano Piccoli (2000), Juanma Gárate (2001), Daniele Bennati (2007), Damiano Cunego (2009), Alessandro Petacchi (2010), Francesco Gavazzi (2011), Winner Anacona and Przemislay Niemec (2014), Nelson Oliveira and Rubén Plaza (2015), Valerio Conti (2016), Matej Mohoric (2017), Jasper Philipsen (2020), and, lastly, Rafal Majka in 2021.
In 2019, UAE had pinned its hopes for La Vuelta on Fabio Aru (winner of La Vuelta 15), when the name of a very young Slovenian rider emerged – a real diamond in the rough. At just 20 years old, Tadej Pogačar was one of the protagonists of the 74th edition of La Vuelta. Three stage wins, a podium in the general classification and the Best Young Rider jersey went to the newcomer who appeared to be anything but inexperienced. In 2020, he made history by becoming the youngest rider in over 100 years to win the Tour de France – a title he reaffirmed in 2021, engraving his name in gold letters in the chronicle of the Grande Boucle. However, in 2022 and 2023, he was unable to surpass Jonas Vingegaard in the Tour de France.
In 2024, the team was a key player in La Vuelta, securing stage victories with Marc Soler and Adam Yates, who also won the King of the Mountains classification.
- Final victory0
- Stages victories35
- Red jerseys2
- Other races Won4
Overall victories: 0
Stage victories: 35
1993: Djamolidine Abdoujaparov, in Valencia, Zaragoza and in Ferrol; Sergei Ouchakov, in Gijón.
1999: Robert Hunter, in Benidorm.
2000: Mariano Piccoli, in Santander and in Ávila; Gilberto Simoni, at the top of the Alto de l’Angliru.
2001: Juan Manuel Gárate, in Vinarós; Robert Hunter, in Albacete; Gilberto Simoni, at the Alto de Abantos.
2007: Daniele Bennati, in Vigo, in Talavera de la Reina and in Madrid.
2008: Alessandro Ballan, in La Rabassa. Naturlandia.
2009: Damiano Cunego, in the Alto de Aitana y and at the top of the Sierra de la Pandera.
2010: Alessandro Petacchi, in Orihuela.
2011: Francesco Gavazzi, in Noja.
2014: Winner Anacona, in Aramón Valdelinares; Przemysalw Niemiec, in Lagos de Covadonga.
2015: Nelson Oliveira, in Tarazona; Rubén Plaza, in Cercedilla.
2016: Valerio Conti, in Urdax Dantxarinea.
2017: Matej Mohoric, in Cuenca.
2019: Tadej Pogačar in Cortals d’Encamp, Los Machucos and the Plataforma de Gredos.
2020: Jasper Philipsen, in Puebla de Sanabria.
2021: Rafal Majka, in El Barraco.
2022: Marc Soler, in Bilbao, and Juan Sebastián Molano, in Madrid.
2023: Juan Sebastián Molano, in Zaragoza.
2024: Adam Yates, in Granada, and Marc Soler, in Lagos de Covadonga.
Leader jerseys: 2
2007: Daniele Bennati, 1 day.
2008: Alessandro Ballan, 1 day.
Victories in secondary classifications: 4
2007: Daniele Bennati (points)
2018: Bauke Mollema (most aggressive rider)
2019: Tadej Pogačar (best young rider)
2024: Adam Yates (mountain)
IN FIGURES
18: The number of years that separate Alejandro Valverde and Tadej Pogačar, second and third, respectively, in the podium of La Vuelta 19.
KEY DATES
May 15th, 1993: Djamolidine Abdoujaparov "The Terror of Tashkent" wins three stages of La Vuelta in that edition, for a total of seven in his whole career.
September 5th, 1999: A year after the team came back to La Vuelta, Robert Hunter takes the stage win in Benidorm.
September 14th, 2019: Day when Tadej Pogačar was confirmed as one of the main players of La Vuelta 19, certifying at the Plataforma de Gredos his third stage victory and his presence at the final podium in Madrid.
Follow us
Get exclusive information about La Vuelta
