UAE Team Emirates-XRG have finished top of the UCI world team rankings for the fourth consecutive season after recording 78 victories in 2026.
The Abu Dhabi-backed cycling team retained the No.1 position it has held since 2023, with 19 different riders contributing wins during the year. The squad also recorded 82 additional podium finishes.
Tadej Pogačar led the results with 22 victories, including three of cycling’s five Monument classics and a fifth Tour de France title.
The Slovenian’s victory in France saw him equal the record shared by Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.
He also finishes 2026 as the world’s top-ranked individual rider, despite his season ending early after a crash during the Vuelta a España in August.
Pogačar’s success was supported by a strong season from Mexican teammate Isaac del Toro, who won the UAE Tour in February before adding overall victories at Tirreno-Adriatico and the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
Del Toro also finished third at the Tour de France, winning the white jersey awarded to the best rider aged 25 or under.
Another significant result came in September when American Brandon McNulty won the men’s elite road race at the UCI World Championships in Montréal.
McNulty attacked with 33 kilometres remaining and held off the chasing group to win by 13 seconds. He became the first American to claim the men’s road race world title since 1993.
His victory also meant UAE Team Emirates-XRG retained the world champion’s rainbow jersey within the squad for a third straight year, following Pogačar’s wins in 2024 and 2025.
McNulty added the team’s 78th and final victory of the season at the Veneto Classic in Italy on October 18, finishing alone ahead of Anthon Charmig.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG team principal and CEO Mauro Gianetti praised the contribution of riders and staff across the season.
“To finish the season as the number on team in the world for the fourth consecutive year is an incredible achievement and something we are all immensely proud of,” Gianetti said.
“This success reflects the hard work and dedication of our riders, staff, and partners, with the strength and depth of our squad playing a huge role throughout the season.”
Away from professional racing, the team has continued its work with young cyclists in the UAE.
The XRG Cycling Academy, powered by UAE Team Emirates-XRG, reached more than 2,000 children during the 2025/26 season, providing cycling sessions focused on bike handling, coordination and confidence.
The academy’s 2026/27 season will begin at the UAE Team Emirates-XRG Cycling Festival on October 31, bringing together riders, families and cycling fans.
The event will give the team an opportunity to celebrate another season at the top of the world rankings while introducing more children to the sport.
