Rasmussen isn’t looking forward to a year of McNulty as World Champion: ‘With his jersey full of water bottles’

McNulty is an outstanding rider, but it’s no wonder that his World Championship victory came as a big surprise. The 28-year-old climber added his 23rd victory to his record with the World Championship, but in the public’s mind, he’s still best known as a top-tier domestique, particularly for Tadej Pogacar. A closer look at McNulty’s list of achievements reveals “only” 8 WorldTour victories.

Since joining UAE, McNulty has won stages in Paris-Nice, the Giro d'Italia, and the Vuelta a España, among others. He has also claimed the overall titles at the Tour of Valencia, the CRO Race (twice), and the Tour of Poland. In the Grand Tours, he only competed for a general classification in 2025, finishing ninth in the Giro. In the other Grand Tours, he rode in a support role, often working for his teammates.

Will the rainbow jersey change anything? Rasmussen fears not. “It would be extremely uncool if McNulty, in his rainbow jersey, ends up being the third or fourth rider in the UAE train, with his jersey full of water bottles, waiting for his turn to lead out for Pogacar and Isaac del Toro.” McNulty himself indicated after the World Championships that he’d be more than happy to continue in a support role.

"If McNulty is lucky, UAE will give him a team so he can win races like the Tour of Poland," said Rasmussen. “Otherwise, it’ll be a pretty bizarre sight. He’ll have a huge burden on his shoulders. He’s just not a star like the others—not a rider who wins a lot of races at the very highest level. The rainbow jersey would have suited Del Toro better.”

Still, it’s no coincidence that McNulty has already signed a contract with UAE through the end of 2030. He’s a welcome member of the team. In the United States, there was virtually no attention paid to the world title, and there wasn’t even any live coverage on television. But the joy among his UAE teammates and staff members was immense.

On Sporza, people from the UAE described him as “very quiet,” “shy,” and “reserved.” But: “I hear from the riders that he’s often the life of the party at the dinner table.” There were also nothing but positive comments about his strengths. “Brandon is someone who loses very little of his strength after a long and grueling race. That’s a quality he can’t always bring to bear in every race—especially since he often rides in support of others,” said Rune Herregodts.

Give McNulty a chance to ride on his own, and Florian Vermeersch says, “I consider Brandon to be among the top 20—or maybe even the top 10—riders in the world.” Herregodts hopes the American will get more opportunities. “If he heads into the Tour well-prepared and in the form he’s in now, a stage win while wearing the rainbow jersey is certainly not out of the question.”