If there is one thing Brandon McNulty with the UAE Team Emirates is that he hasn't given up a day without giving a performance, to a greater or lesser extent, but a performance. From the first minute of his debut with the team, this six-foot-four from Arizona has been one of the strong men in the team.
Confined to Phoenixa year ago, McNulty reckoned his campaign was interrupted by the pandemic. I had to stop and go home," he recalls. It was easy to stay at home and train what they told you to do," he recalls.little else. The strangest thing was the passing of the days without knowing when we were going to compete again.
Nearly podium in San Juan and among the best in the Vuelta a Andalucía, Matxin and company looked favorably on the quality of their acquisition. Then he tried the Giro d'Italia, and was ahead for quite a few days, especially those against the clock, the modality in which he swims with the current in his favor, on the eve of risking his life in the mountains.
His profile, high and angular fits perfectly with the current cyclist's profile.. In a way he was predestined to be a racer: "I started because of my father. He was an important amateur cyclist in Arizona and from a young age I saw bikes at home. His big leap came less than two years ago, when he moved from the Rally, an American orbiting team, to the UAE Team Emirates.
Podium in the U23 world time trial in Yorkshire., four years after another third in the 2015 junior time trial. Two podiums framing his U23 title signed in Qatar, year 2016., ahead of his now teammate, Mikkel Berg. "Those results put me on the radar and Matxin contacted me." he states.
A cyclist still in training
But let's not lose sight of the fact that we are talking about a cyclist who is still young, very young, even in today's context of almost cradle prodigies. Brandon McNulty celebrated his twenty-third birthday a few weeks ago as a rider for the UAE Team Emirates.
"I follow my evolution, little by little. I like the time trials and I'm improving in the mountains. I'd like to say that I'm more than just a stage winner." he says in the typical ambition of a professional who wants to know what his ceiling is in the everlasting struggle to win, one day, a grand tour.
While he enjoys the good start of the campaign he has had: "I think it's been a solid start with some good results. My main goal is the second part of the year, with my debut in the Tour de France. There will be other goals, but none like this one."
At the Tour, he will be part of a historic team for the UAE Team EmiratesBrandon McNulty will be among the seven riders who will be part of the team. defenderTadej Pogačar's number one bib.
About his teammate and leader he admits that "I really like racing with him. He is a good teammate, he is always relaxed and that transmits it to us. We know each other since the time of U23, then we were rivals, today we work together. I want to continue with him for a long time.
We saw the two of them together in a Itzulia, Vuelta al País Vascoa simply memorable race, in which he was lucky enough to even be the leader. A race in which, in addition, Gobik dressed the leaders: "I like Gobik clothing. It's comfortable, versatile and lightweight. You have to think that we spend a lot of hours in these clothes, that it's good is a plus”.
Brandon McNultylike the fans, like the UAE Team Emirates, has fond memories of EuskadiIt was nice. It was the first time I wore the lead in a WorldTour race. It was a big step in my career". The final day of that race remains: "It was a terrible day, very hard, but I fought to the end, without reproach.".
Photos BettiniPhoto / Fizza Photo
