UAE win race for rising Czech talent as Gianetti and Matxin make personal intervention

Václav Ježek, who raced for Kasper Crypto4me in 2026 and also competes in cyclocross, won the GC this year at both the Tour of Hellas and the West Bohemia Tour, as well as finishing seventh overall at the Czech Tour. 

The 21-year-old Czech rider's performances earned him a move to UAE Team Emirates Gen Z for 2027, where he will be joined in the development squad by fellow new arrivals Simon Defrance, Riccardo Lorello, José Emilio Rodríguez and Luca Martinez.

According to Ježek’s agent, former professional František Raboň, UAE Team Emirates-XRG CEO Mauro Gianetti and Sports Manager Matxin Joxean Fernández played a prominent role in the recruitment of the Czech rider. 

“After Greece, UAE, specifically CEO Gianetti and Matxin, made contact,” Raboň told iDNES. “From the very beginning, they spoke of him in glowing terms, highlighting the power he was able to produce during the third and fourth hours of a race." 

UAE reportedly wanted to bring the 21-year-old straight into their WorldTour ranks. However, Ježek will join the Gen Z development team on an initial one-year contract, while being given some opportunities to race alongside the pros. 

Raboň believes the personal involvement of Gianetti and Matxin was more important than the financial offer. All riders in the development team receive the same salary, and Ježek reportedly turned down more lucrative opportunities, including the possibility of a longer WorldTour contract. 

“Many teams complain that UAE has a massive budget and can sign whoever they want. On the contrary, UAE has shown a proactive approach, actively seeking out talented riders, including those who are less well-known,” Raboň said. 

“They could easily have waited another year and signed him from a different team, but they want to develop him themselves.”

The development team was founded in 2024 by the Emirati side to develop young riders from UAE and around the world, operating at continental level. 

Ahead of the 2027 season, 20-year-old Italian Davide Stella has been promoted from the Gen Z team to WorldTour side, following in the footsteps of riders including Luca Giaimi and Adrià Pericas in 2026, and Pablo Torres in 2025. 

Prior to the development team’s existence, UAE’s wider recruitment strategy also saw the team bring in talents to the WorldTour squad from the continental ranks, including Tadej Pogačar and Isaac del Toro.