“Our obligation is to not lose our passion,” says sports manager Joxean “Matxin” Fernández.
Cor Vos
Looking ahead to 2026 after his squad put together a 2025 campaign for the ages, UAE Team Emirates-XRG sports manager Joxean “Matxin” Fernández seems mostly concerned with maintaining the good vibes.
“Winning is great, but what’s important is how you win. Our obligation is to not lose our passion,” the veteran team manager told Marca in a story that gave him a chance to reflect on UAE’s unprecedented season and on the foundations for their success.
Given UAE’s immense budget and the equally immense talent that said budget has allowed the team to acquire, it makes plenty of sense that Matxin and team boss Mauro Gianetti are mostly focused on keeping their many stars cooperating with each other. With Tadej Pogačar headlining the team and a host of other talents in supporting roles, UAE seems practically guaranteed to dominate as long as everyone, especially Pogačar, stays happy and healthy.
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Plus: dangerous feed zones and two guys at UAE who really don’t like each other and will co-lead the team at the Vuelta a España.
Those things are never guaranteed. In the second half of the Tour de France, for instance, Pogačar seemed to lose that aforementioned “passion,” at least for a little while, while team depth took a hit on paper as Juan Ayuso forced an early exit from his contract.
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