Take3 weeks ago
UAE Team Emirates-XRG signed Davide Stella through 2029—and did it after a season that effectively collapsed following the AlUla Tour disaster. The move signals not a sprinter shortage, but faith in his trajectory.
The 20-year-old Italian spent just one full year in UAE Team Emirates Gen Z, during which he won three UCI 2.2 and 2.2U races—yet still earned promotion despite a wrecked 2026. A WorldTour contract through 2029 for a rider who hasn't started a single WorldTour event is a bet on development the team is willing to wait out.