According to multiple media reports, Giro d'Italia Stage 1 winner Jonathan Narvaez (Ineos Grenadiers) is expected to join Tadezi Poganyar at UAE Team Emirates in 2025. 

If confirmed after the transfer period opens on 8/1, the 27-year-old Ecuadorian will be a big boost to the already strong UAE line-up.

A talented all-rounder, Narvaez is not only a two-time stage winner at the Giro d'Italia, but also a talented one-day racer who won both the National Championship and the Pan American Games Road title in 2023. He also has a hefty number of top places in the spring classics.

Besides that, Narvaez has also won the Tour of Austria and the Coppi-e-Bartali and finished second overall on the tour earlier this year.

Thanks to his Stage 1 victory, Narvaez is currently the only rider to wear Maglia Rosa in the 2024 Giro d'etalia outside of Pogagnar.

In the first day of the hill race in Turin, Narvaez overtook both Max Schachmann (Bora Hansgrohe) and Pogagnard to win the stage and hold the 24-hour race lead.

The 2024 Giro is taking part in his first comeback race after collapsing badly earlier this spring and suffering a concussion.

Narvaez also came within the beard of a second Giro stage victory in Naples, after a slow withdrawal of Guts he was only a few meters from the line by a reduced bunch

except for a single season in a quick step in 2018, Narvaez's only professional team was in Spain. Kai/Ineos was a grenadier. Assuming his widely publicized move to the Emirates for the UAE team goes ahead, he will join other former top Ineos riders like Adam Yates and Pavel Shivakov for the Middle East team.