Race news

UAE Team Emirates-XRG presents line up as Pogacar chases elusive Milan-Sanremo win

UAE Team Emirates-XRG have confirmed their line-up for Milan-Sanremo as Tadej Pogačar attempts to win La Primavera for the first time in what will be his sixth appearance at the race. The lineup also includes recently crowned Tirreno-Adriatico winner Isaac del Toro.

March 17 2026 - 12:35 PM

Isaac del Toro and Tadej Pogacar 2026 Strade Bianche presentation

Massimo Fulgenzi / Cor Vos

Since finishing 12th on debut in 2020, Tadej Pogačar has improved almost year on year at Milan-Sanremo, finishing 5th in 2022, 4th in 2023, before finishing 3rd in 2024 and 2025. There’s no secret of Pogačar’s desire to win Milan-Sanremo, as it’s only one of two monuments missing from his illustrious palmares alongside Paris-Roubaix.

Fresh off winning Tirreno-Adriatico, Isaac del Toro will also feature for the Emirati team, for the third consecutive year. The Mexican finished 3rd at Strade Bianche in his only race day alongside the World Champion, and will be a key component to any success. Twelve months ago, Del Toro was 13th at Milan-Sanremo.

Jan Christen, who supported Del Toro to victory at Tirreno, will make his Milan-Sanremo debut, and like the Mexican champion, will be a key asset to making the difference on the climbs.

Florian Vermeersch is a strong addition to the squad, having made an impressive start to the season, finishing 3rd at Omloop Nieuwsblad.

Domen Novak is the only other rider, alongside Del Toro and Pogačar, who returns from the 2025 squad. The Slovenian has become an ever-present figure in recent years at Milan-Sanremo, appearing in each of the last three editions.

Brandon McNulty crashed out on the fourth stage of Paris-Nice, but the American has recovered and is set to debut at the race. Meanwhile, Felix Großschartner returns to the Milan-Sanremo squad for the first time since 2023.

It’s a significantly different team that will line up alongside Pogačar, with only Del Toro and Novak remaining from the 2025 squad, and that’s due to injuries sustained by notable riders.

Jhonatan Narváez crashed out of the Santos Tour Down Under on the fourth stage, while sitting 2nd overall behind teammate Jay Vine. The Ecuadorian champion suffered several table compression fractures in thoracic vertebrae and remains sidelined.

Belgium champion Tim Wellens crashed out of Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, suffering a broken collarbone. Both riders were present in the 2025 Milan-Sanremo line-up and thus left UAE with a puzzle to solve as to who would step in.