Vuelta a España tech in numbers: Behind the scenes with UAE Team Emirates

A Grand Tour isn’t just a mammoth physical challenge, it’s also a huge logistical nightmare. Hidden behind the riders is an army of support staff, vehicles and tech, all playing an important part to keep the team and race in motion.

While the riders steal the limelight, all of these cogs are critical to their success, and without them things would quickly unravel.

We recently went behind the scenes with UAE Team Emirates at the Vuelta a España to add some figures to these cogs and find out exactly how many staff, vehicles, bikes and wheels are required for the three weeks and thousands of kilometres of racing - and it’s a lot more than you may expect!

Bikes and wheels

26 road bikes

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A handful of the team's 26 road bikes at the Vuelta a España

From crashes to unfortunate mechanicals, a lot can go wrong during the three weeks of a Grand Tour. That’s why each rider has multiple bikes, and they’ll regularly end up using more than one of them.

At UAE Team Emirates, every rider has three versions of the team’s Colnago V4Rs, except for team leaders João Almeida and Juan Aysuo who can rely on four. A do-it-all superbike, the V4Rs is the only road bike the team uses at the race, adept in both the mountains and on flat days.

16 time trial bikes

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One of Finn Fisher-Black's two Colnago time trial bikes

Time trials only account for a fraction of the kilometres raced at this year’s Vuelta a España - 40.6k out of over 3,000km. That’s why each rider only has two of the team’s Colnago TT1 time trial bikes, including Almeida and Ayuso.

50 road wheelsets

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Many of the wheelsets are stored in the mechanic's van

Wheelsets have a huge impact on performance, and teams have to find the right balance between weight and aerodynamics for a given terrain.

For one-day races, this decision will often be made in advance, but Grand Tours traverse everything from mountains to wind-swept coastal roads. Prepared for any terrain, UAE Team Emirates is using three different ENVE wheelsets at the race, the SES 2.3, SES 3.4 and SES 4.5.

20 time trial wheelsets

While a lot less than the 50 road wheelsets, 20 time trial wheelsets is a significant number, especially as there are only two time trials at this year’s race. It equates to over two wheelsets per rider.

Vehicles

1 mechanic truck

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Even at 9pm, the mechanic's truck was still a hub of activity after stage 3

Grand Tours are as much a feat of endurance for the support staff as they are the riders. One of the toughest jobs in the pro peloton belongs to the mechanics who can be found tinkering away in or around the mechanic’s truck for hours each day. The truck stores all of the team’s tools plus most of its wheels which hang from the ceiling.

6 support cars

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UAE Team Emirates has a fleet of six support cars

Support cars are jack-of-all-trades, fulfilling every need during a stage. Laden with bikes and wheels, they provide mechanical support. The directeur sportifs can be found inside them, pulling the strings and guiding the team throughout the stage. Some of the cars can be seen dotted along the road at predetermined spots, ready to replenish water supplies. In the distant past support cars were a rare novelty, now the race and riders depend on them.

2 storage vans

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While many of the road bikes are transported on support cars, we spotted the time trial bikes in a storage van

The team’s 42 bikes go wherever the race goes, ready and prepared for any action when called upon. That’s a lot of bikes, and the support cars alone can’t transport them all. For that the team also relies on two storage vans. These also house other tech, plus anything else that might need transporting.

1 kitchen truck

The scientific research behind nutrition is more advanced than ever before, and it’s a key element behind performance. That’s why most teams have chefs, and this requires a kitchen truck where they can prepare food.

1 reefer van

All of that food needs transporting too, which is why UAE Team Emirates also has a reefer van at the race.

1 team bus

The word ‘bus’ hardly does team buses justice. With showers, coffee machines and, usually, an area to relax at the back of the coach, they have everything the riders need.

UAE Team Emirates gave us a peak behind the scenes on their bus at the Giro d’Italia earlier this season. Check that video out above.

Staff

4 mechanics

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A mechanic prepares one of the team's Colnago V4Rs bikes after stage 3

Every job at a Grand Tour is stressful, but few rival that of a mechanic. Mechanics are responsible for ensuring the bikes are set up correctly before each stage, a large task which involves swapping components at the end of each day. Every bike also has to be cleaned and checked to ensure it’s running smoothly. Once underway, there’s little respite for the mechanics during the Vuelta a España, until the end of the three weeks when it reaches Madrid.

7 soigneurs

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A soigneur prepares water bottles ahead of stage 4

Soigneurs look after riders off the bike, providing massages, before supporting them during the race by handing out bottles and spare clothing. They’re a crucial cog in the Grand Tour machine.

2 directeur sportifs

From the outside looking in, cycling appears to be an individual sport. In reality it’s hugely tactical, and pulling these tactical strings are the directeur sportifs. They’re similar to managers in other sports, deciding tactics and then directing the team during the race.

Many are well-known names in their own right, with statuses to match that of their star riders.

1 doctor

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Crashes are a regular occurrence at Grand Tours and Jay Vine was forced to withdraw after falling on stage 6

Unfortunately, falls and illness are a regular part of cycling. To help patch the riders up after any tumbles, most teams have doctors.

2 chefs

The mobile kitchen won’t man itself; preparing food for the riders requires two chefs.

1 nutritionist

The chefs prepare the meals, but how do they decide what to make? That part of the equation is covered by a nutritionist, keeping the riders on the nutritional straight and narrow.

1 sports manager

On top of the directeur sportifs, the team also has a sports manager. As the name suggests, this role supports the sports side of the team, encompassing a wide range of responsibilities.

1 driver

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The UAE Team Emirates bus at the team's hotel after stage 3

The team bus covers huge distances during the race, taking the riders to stage starts and hotels. For longer transfers, riders sometimes take planes, but that’s not something the bus driver can take advantage of - unfortunately for them, there are no commercial planes capable of carrying buses.

1 photographer/videographer

We live in an age of social media and the internet, something teams need to cater to. That requires a photographer/videographer, responsible for creating multiple types of content throughout the race - like the post below.

1 press officer

A press officer manages the team’s relationships with the press, arranging interviews and other activities - like the press officer for UAE Team Emirates who kindly allowed us behind the scenes.

8 riders

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UAE Team Emirates' eight-man squad at the Vuelta a España team presentation

All of these figures mean nothing without the eight riders who take to the start line each day. It’s said so much that it’s almost become a cliché, but cycling really is a huge team effort which goes far beyond the riders. Every cog plays a vital part, but once the race is underway it’s all down to the riders to deliver.

Luckily for UAE Team Emirates, Juan Ayuso out-performed many expectations last year to finish third, becoming the second youngest rider to ever podium at a Grand Tour. He once again leads the team in 2023, alongside Portuguese star João Almeida.

Keep up to date with all of the latest racing news from the Vuelta a España, including the fortunes of UAE Team Emirates, on our dedicated race page, linked here.