Building on the team’s successful start to the 2026 season will be NSN Cycling Team’s objective in the UAE Tour, which starts on Monday (16 February).
As ever, it’s a race that offers the sprinters multiple chances of glory, with four of the seven stages being suited to them.
Less than a month on from his Tour Down Under stage win, British rider Ethan Vernon will spearhead the team’s attack.
DS Alex Cataford says: “We’ve come here with Ethan, so our number one objective is to align the sprint train and continue to improve that.
“After his stage win in Down Under, it would be good to get at least a couple of podium positions in stages with him here.
“We have Ryan, Dion, Pier-André, and Nadav here to help support him for those sprint lead-outs, so that’s what we’re primarily looking to do.”
For Vernon, his second participation in the UAE Tour represents a chance to continue his strong start to the 2026 season.
“The sprints and the TT are good opportunities for me once again,” says Vernon. “The first stage is, I guess, a bit similar to the stage I won at Down Under, so yeah, hopefully I can start strongly there and back it up with a good TT the next day.
“I had 10 days at home after Australia, but I kept the heat training going, and the shape’s pretty good coming into this week.”
The British rider will look to win a stage of a fifth UCI WorldTour event to date in his career next week, but he has previously been a part of success in the Middle East.
He adds: “My first pro race was here in 2022, leading out Cav [Mark Cavendish], and he won a stage. We do that finish on the final day here, which could be useful.”
Vernon’s lead-out train includes Irish TT champion Mullen, who will make his NSN debut in the race. The experienced domestique has competed in every edition of this event dating back to 2022.
“I’m looking forward to getting going now,” he says. “I’ve had a lot of time to train and build up, so I’m really looking forward to getting stuck in for the team now.
“I think experience plays a massive part in this race, particularly because of the wide roads and the winds here. This is my fifth time riding this race, and a lot of the stages are similar, so I’m hoping that any mistakes I’ve made in the past will just be lessons on what not to do this time around.
“Hopefully, with my experience of this race and the form Ethan is in, we can have a good week.”
In addition to the race’s annual individual time trial at Hudayriyat Island (stage 2, 12.2km), the GC will be decided on the roads to Jebel Mobrah, a new and nasty summit finish, and Jebel Hafeet, on stages 3 and 6 respectively. Newly-crowned New Zealand road champion George Bennett and Jan Hirt, who also starts his season in the Emirates, give the team cards to play.
Cataford adds: “We’d like to see Jan and George get their best GC result possible throughout the week. We’re going to see where things lie after stage three, the really tough new finishing climb, and take it from there.”
NSN Cycling Team at the UAE Tour (Monday 16 – Sunday 22 February)
Riders: George Bennett (NZL), Pier-André Côté (CAN), Jan Hirt (CZE), Ryan Mullen (IRL), Nadav Raisberg (ISR), Dion Smith (NZL), Ethan Vernon (GBR)
Sports Directors: Alex Cataford (CAN), Francesco Frassi (ITA)