New world champion Brandon McNulty to debut rainbow jersey in Italy
UAE Team Emirates-XRG had already decided to send Brandon McNulty to ride a slate of Italian one-day races to finish his season, and the American has indicated that his first outing in the rainbow jersey will come at the Giro dell'Emilia. La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that he is in line for up to four more races in Italy before ending his season.
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Brandon McNulty is set to make his debut in the rainbow jersey at the Giro dell’Emilia on Saturday, and the new world champion is expected to race at least twice more on Italian roads before the end of the season, including at Il Lombardia.
Speaking after he soloed to victory at the World Championships in Montreal, McNulty confirmed that the Giro dell’Emilia was the next race on his schedule.
“I’m meant to do Emilia and then almost the entire Italian block through Lombardia,” McNulty said. “I’m looking forward to it and now to start with the jersey will be special. Hopefully, I can show with decent legs.”
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, McNulty will also line up at Tre Valli Varesine on October 6 before tackling Il Lombardia on October 10. The newspaper reports that the American could yet extend his season further by riding the Giro del Veneto on October 14 and the Veneto Classic on October 18.
McNulty has never previously lined up at the Giro dell’Emilia, which is set to attract some notable contenders despite taking place on the same weekend as the European Championships in Slovenia.
Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) and Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) feature on the provisional start list, while McNulty’s teammate Isaac del Toro could also line up in a bid to repeat his 2025 victory.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG had already decided to field McNulty in Italy prior to his victory in Montreal, though it remains to be seen how his new status will affect the precise composition of his late-season programme.
Isaac del Toro is expected to lead UAE at Il Lombardia in the likely absence of Tadej Pogačar, having placed fifth a year ago after teeing up the Slovenian’s winning attack, though McNulty might line out with increased ambitions after his solo triumph in Montreal.
McNulty has not raced Il Lombardia since 2021, when he helped Tadej Pogačar to the first of his five consecutive victories in the Race of the Falling Leaves. In 2024 and 2025, McNulty finished his season at the CRO Tour.
UAE has announced that Pogačar will miss the remainder of the season due to the injuries he sustained in a crash at the Vuelta a España, even if El País reports that the Slovenian is nonetheless eager to defend his European title on home roads on Sunday.
Brandon McNulty - Race programme
| Date | Race |
|---|---|
October 3 | Giro dell'Emilia |
October 6 | Tre Valli Varesine |
October 10 | Il Lombardia |
October 14 | Giro del Veneto (?) |
October 18 | Veneto Classic (?) |
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