UAE sees Van der Poel standing head and shoulders above the rest, but they also have four trump cards up their sleeve

In the Tour of Flanders, UAE Team Emirates definitively proved it is not just a classics team. Sure, Tadej Pogacar is logically a classics leader par excellence. But beyond the Slovenian, the Emirates team also has plenty of trump cards to play. IDLProCycling.com discussed this with sporting director Mauro Gianetti.

We arrived in Oudenaarde, about an hour after the Tour of Flanders finished there and Mathieu van der Poel crossed the finish line as the victor. At the UAE bus, the mood was very convivial. And that's not surprising when you manage to finish third (Nils Politt), fourth (Mikkel Bjerg), and fifth (Antonio Morgado) in perhaps the most important one-day race of all. 'This Tour of Flanders was indeed a perfect race for us,' agreed Gianetti, himself once the winner of the Amstel Gold Race (1995).

Gianetti praising Van der Poel, but also the UAE boys Wellens, Politt, Bjerg, and Politt

"Against such a great champion like Mathieu van der Poel, there is, of course, very little to do. He shows time and again how good he is," the Swiss-born Italian continued his analysis of the race. "Van der Poel clearly stands head and shoulders above everyone else. A Tadej Pogacar in very good form can stay with him. The same goes for Wout van Aert, but no one else can follow him. Mads Pedersen maybe, depending on his tactics.

Still, the UAE boys are increasingly sticking their noses to the window emphatically. We are increasingly showing ourselves at the front," said a laudatory Gianetti. "Here at the Tour of Flanders, we did very well, finishing third, fourth, and fifth. Of course, I think it's great to see Antonio, Nils, and Mikkel at the front. With Tim Wellens (12th, ed.), we even had four guys in the top fifteen. That, of course, really says something."

So, is Gianetti in any way still surprised at the high level of his riders? The answer seems twofold. "Of course, we already knew that Nils, Mikkel, and Tim are capable of top-ten finishes in important classics. He is still only twenty years old and a neo-pro, yet he is already competing for the podium in one of the most important classics of the year. That is simply amazing. We knew it might be possible, but certainly didn't dare to pronounce it yet. The expectation is one thing; the confirmation something completely different."

Is top talent Morgado the future classics leader of UAE Team Emirates?

"It means we are doing well as a team, and we are actively investing in talent. The team is growing every year," Gianetti concluded in the context of gold medalist Morgado, who previously finished second in Le Samyn. So what exactly is the outlined plan for the talented Portuguese? "Antonio already has quite a few classics under his belt. Of course, it is also very important for him to get some rest. He will still participate in Paris-Roubaix and Brabantse Pijl, before likely taking a break. Then it's looking forward to the second half of the season. Participating in every spring classic is also mentally draining. It's not easy, and it's something you shouldn't underestimate, especially with such a young rider experiencing everything for the first time."

In short, sheer praise for Morgado, and rightly so, considering what he has achieved. "He comes back from this classic block with a lot of motivation, but above all, a lot of fitness and experience," Gianetti proudly concludes. "He has shown that people have to start taking notice of him. That's the most important thing. Of course, we don't want to rush anything either."