Although the Giro d’Italia 2024 has just faced its queen stage the 2025 Transfer is in full swing. Even one of the strongest teams in the world, namely UAE Team Emirates, while totally focused on Tadej Pogacar and his Corsa Rosa, is always looking for the best opportunities to strengthen the team for the coming seasons. Despite having the Slovenian outfielder under contract until 2027 and two other predestined for the big stage races like Juan Ayuso and Isaac Del Toro tied to the team until 2028 and 2029 respectively, the general manager of the Emirati formation is working to shore up the team and spoke to GCN about his plans.

For one thing, despite some rumors that the Emirati team was interested in a resounding return of Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin – Deceuninck), the former Swiss rider admitted that it is a baseless hypothesis, with the sprinter now in the process of extending with his current team, “We are one of the interested teams, but I think it’s complicated and I don’t think he will come to us.”

Among the riders whose contracts expire at the end of this season are three prominent names as far as the Emirates lineup is concerned: Rafal Majka, Marc Hirschi and Finn Fisher-Black. Regarding the former, it was Giannetti himself who announced, albeit only unofficially, the contract renewal: “Yes, yes, yes. We haven’t signed, but we have the agreement. We found the agreement before the Giro and he will stay with us. Maybe one or two years, but we will decide together after the Giro.”

Different is the situation of the other two. The Swiss rider has already been approached on several occasions by Tudor Pro Cycling and Team Q36.5 Pro Cycling, both of which are Swiss-based and would therefore welcome one of the country’s strongest riders with open arms, but his current team has not yet decided whether or not they are interested in retaining him: “We haven’t decided yet whether or not he will stay. We will decide in June.”

The New Zealand rider, on the other hand, already a winner of three races in this 2024, is still considered a valuable prospect, despite being in the peloton for several years already, but doubts arise in relation to the space he might have by staying in his current lineup: “It’s a question of whether Finn can have great opportunities by staying with us or if he stays with us and has to sacrifice himself. – concludes the Liege and Amstel winner in 1995 – We have to figure out what space he can have in the team and if there is room for his value. It is a discussion that is on the table and it is a decision that will be made later in the season. We will wait.”