Only Visma | Lease a Bike and Van Aert match the aggressive contract strategy of UAE Team Emirates

UAE Team Emirates is working on an impressive list of long-term contracts. On Thursday, the team announced an extension for Tadej Pogacar through the end of 2030. This was the latest in a series of extended contracts with major stars locked in for years to come.

Marca compiled a list of the seventeen longest contracts in the WorldTour through 2025. Among the top six riders, five are with UAE Team Emirates. Pogacar enters at number two with his contract lasting until the end of 2030. Wonderkid Pablo Torres previously signed a deal with the team through the same year, putting significant pressure on the 18-year-old Spaniard. He will make his WorldTour debut in 2025.

UAE Team Emirates also has Isaac Del Toro (2029), Juan Ayuso (2028), and Jan Christen (2028) on its roster, securing several high-potential riders for years. Beyond these, the list includes names from other teams, such as Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike), Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X), Léo Bisiaux (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Kasper Borremans (Bahrain Victorious), Derek Gee, Stephen Williams (Israel Premier Tech), Wil Holmes (Jayco-AlUla), Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty), and Albert Withen Philipsen (Lidl-Trek), all contracted through 2028.

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The big exception to UAE’s aggressive contract strategy is Visma | Lease a Bike, which is the only team in the WorldTour to give Wout van Aert an open-ended contract. This means he is set to finish his career with the Dutch team and can decide when that will be. Contracts lasting until the end of 2028 set a reasonable lower boundary for unique value, as many teams already have numerous riders contracted through the end of 2027, which covers another three full seasons.