UAE boss sees more than a super-domestique in McNulty: "Potential Grand Tour contender"

Team boss Mauro Gianetti is a big fan of McNulty. As a domestique, he has already proven his worth several times, such as in the 2022 Tour de France, where he was Pogacar's most important domestique in the Pyrenees. “He is an exceptional rider, and we have been optimistic about him since he joined us,” general manager Gianetti told Domestique. “We believe in him, and he has always shown his qualities. This year, he rode a great Giro d'Italia in support of Juan Ayuso and Isaac del Toro.”

“He also had the chance to ride for the classification there, and he didn't miss it,” he said of McNulty, who finished ninth in Rome. That gave hope for the future, especially after the win in Poland. “He is a rider who can still improve a lot; he still has room to grow. Winning an important race like the Tour of Poland will give him confidence for the future, and we see him as a potential contender in a Grand Tour.”

McNulty is a little more cautious. He knows his qualities, but a three-week race is a different cup of tea. “Sometimes after a Grand Tour, I think, ‘It's impossible,’ and other times it gives me hope. I don't know. It's so different from a seven-day race here, or any other week-long race. I feel better every year, and I'm building my endurance for three weeks, but I don't know. We'll see.”

In any case, we won't be seeing the American in action in the Vuelta a España. He has competed in the Spanish race twice before and even won last year's opening time trial, but a second Grand Tour is not on the cards for 2025. Instead, we will see him in the Deutschland Tour, after which, according to Domestique, he will ride the CRO Race and Maryland Cycling Classic. He will skip the World Championships in Rwanda, despite his chances in the difficult time trial.