Juan Sebastian Molano leaves UAE Emirates-XRG for Lotto

UAE Emirates-XRG will start next season without its only established sprinter after Juan Sebastian Molano agreed to join Lotto-Intermarché. The Colombian’s departure follows Arnaud De Lie’s move to Tudor and gives the Belgian team its replacement for the next two seasons.

Molano, 31, has raced for UAE Emirates-XRG since 2019 and has collected 28 victories during his career. Five came at WorldTour level, including Vuelta a España stages in 2022 and 2023, a stage at the 2023 UAE Tour, a 2023 Tour of Guangxi stage and the 2025 Classic Brugge-De Panne. His only win this year was a stage at the Tour of Oman.

The move is intended to restore Molano to a full-time sprint role. He also wants to prepare for a first appearance at the Tour de France, which he has identified as a major motivation for the coming season. At Lotto-Intermarché, he is expected to become the leading sprinter.

UAE Emirates-XRG has promoted 20-year-old Italian Davide Stella from its development squad to fill the gap. Stella recently won a stage of the Tour de l’Avenir. The change comes despite the team recording 69 victories in 2026, with sprint success accounting for only one of those wins through Molano.