UAE Emirates-XRG shops at Picnic PostNL, and announces second signing of this year

Following the arrival of Adria Pericas, UAE Emirates-XRG is also delighted with its second signing, Vermaerke, who finished sixth in the Arctic Race of Norway on Sunday. “The American all-rounder brings WorldTour experience, tactical strength, and a proven ability to support leaders in the toughest races on the calendar.”

Team manager Mauro Gianetti sees Vermaerke, who was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, as a valuable addition: "We are very pleased to welcome Kevin to our team. He’s a young, versatile rider and has already shown he can compete at the highest level. We believe he can continue to grow in our environment and become an important part of our team structure, both in stage races and the one-day calendar."

The rider himself is also delighted. “I am incredibly excited to join UAE Team Emirates-XRG next year and start a new chapter in my career. I’ve grown a lot over the last few years but I feel that the team environment of UAE with the level of the riders and attention to detail on the team will be the change I need to take the next step.”

“I’m really looking forward to learning from the best in the world and contributing to the team’s success next season,” he said in the press release. Vermaerke won Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2019 in the U23 category, and his best results with Picnic PostNL are fourth places in the Clasica San Sebastian and the Tour of the Czech Republic. He also rode the Tour twice and the Giro once for the Dutch team.