'It's special to race' - World champion McNulty extends season until Veneto Classic

Brandon McNulty has been settling into life in the rainbow jersey over the past week in Italy and the new world champion has confirmed to Domestique that he will extend his season beyond Il Lombardia this weekend.

Before winning the world title, McNulty was already provisionally scheduled to line up at the Giro del Veneto on October 14 and the Veneto Classic on October 18. Speaking at the start of Gran Piemonte in Asti on Thursday, McNulty confirmed that his new status has not changed his plans for the final weeks of the season. With form like this, he figured he might as well race and adjust to life in the rainbow jersey.

“I finish with both Veneto races,” McNulty told Domestique. “That was my original programme. I don’t know, if I asked the team, then maybe they would let me off, but I think it’s special to race. My wife is here and we have time together to spend between the races, so it’s nice just to finish late and enjoy these races.”

For the past two seasons, McNulty has finished his season with overall victory at the CRO Race in early October. Participation at the Veneto Classic will mark his latest end to a season since he finished 15th overall at the pandemic-delayed 2020 Giro d’Italia in his first year at UAE.

McNulty made his debut in the rainbow jersey with 10th place at the Giro dell’Emilia on Saturday before finishing second in the sprint at the Coppa Agostoni the following day. 

He was the fore in the finale of Tre Valli Varesine on Tuesday, and he lined up at Gran Piemonte on Thursday as part of a strong UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad that included Isaac del Toro and Jhonatan Narváez.

In the absence of the injured Tadej Pogačar, Del Toro is set to lead the line for UAE at Il Lombardia on Saturday, with McNulty insisting that the rainbow bands on his back won’t change his role at the Race of the Falling Leaves. 

“I think Isaac will be the outright leader, but obviously if we can play aggressive then that’s always a benefit and kind of how UAE always races,” McNulty said. “But I think it’ll be kind of the same approach, just with a different jersey.”