With team leader Tadei Pogachar targeting Paris-Nice, UAE Team Emirates has multiple options for this year's Tirreno-Adriatico. With Brandon McNulty, Joao Almeida, and Adam Yates, UAE Team Emirates has a good chance of achieving the Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico double.

Pogachar took control of Paris-Nice with his first mountain finish on Wednesday. Now, Tirreno-Adriatico enters the hilly course, with McNulty, Almeida, and Yates catching him in Italy.

American rider McNulty is fourth overall, 34 seconds behind time trial winner Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), of UAE Team Emirates. Almeida is sixth, 41 seconds behind, and Adam Yates is 39th, 1:18 behind. McNulty is six seconds ahead of second-place finisher Leonardo Kamuna (Bora-Hansgrohe) and four seconds ahead of fellow American Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers).

"With me, Joanne, and Adam, we have some cards to play as a team.

The 24-year-old from Phoenix, Arizona, finished fifth in Monday's time trial at Lido di Camaiore. He avoided trouble on stage 2 and was part of the echelon attack in the last kilometer of stage 3.

"The time trial was good. The time trial was good, I was fast. It was my first real TT of the year and a good way to start the race."

Ganna has kept the race leader's blue jersey for the two sprint stages to Follonica and Foligno, but on Wednesday the hills begin with a 200+ km ride from Greccio to Tortoreto on a hillside overlooking the Adriatic coast. Most of the stage runs along the canyon roads, but the last 51km has four 3km climbs to the finish.

Friday's fifth stage finishes at the summit of Sassottetto, and the sixth stage to Osimo is a series of steep, short climbs in the Les Marche region of central Italy.

Ganna is not confident of defending the leader's jersey after Thursday, so McNulty, Almeida, and Yates could soon join the overall contenders. McNulty did not reveal his team plan, but he seems confident.

"I had a great winter at home with friends and family. I am healthy, in good shape, and motivated for the season."

He has already competed in 19 days of racing, including the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana and the recent UAE Tour. He has also competed in the Strade Bianche, a gravel road in Tuscany.

"I have the legs and my body is giving me good signs.

McNulty and UAE Team Emirates are preparing for the important Tirreno-Adriatico stage.

"From what I've heard, the long club to the finish of the Sassotet is manageable," McNulty explained.

"The key will be the stage the next day, with a short, steep climb. I think it will be really aggressive that day."

"We're hoping for sun and good legs.