Jay Vine has extended his contract with UAE Team Emirates-XRG through to the end of 2029, committing another two seasons to the squad he joined in 2023. The Australian’s existing agreement was due to run until the end of 2027, but the new deal keeps one of the team’s leading climbers and time triallists in place for the next three years.
Vine, who turns 31 in November, remains a valuable option in the mountains as well as a rider capable of winning races himself. His latest agreement follows a 2026 season that began with victory at the Australian time-trial championships and the Tour Down Under, before injuries and repeated interruptions made it difficult to sustain that early momentum.
Vine stays after another season of highs and setbacks
The Australian started 2026 with a convincing performance against the clock in Perth, winning his second national individual time-trial title. He completed the 39.1km course in 46 minutes and 52 seconds, finishing more than half a minute ahead of Oliver Bleddyn. It was a return to the national title he first won in 2023.
Less than three weeks later, Vine won the Tour Down Under for the second time. A powerful attack alongside teammate Jhonatan Narváez on the Corkscrew climb delivered the stage-two victory and overall race lead, which he retained through the final stage in Adelaide. Even a collision involving a kangaroo on the closing day could not prevent him from taking the overall title.
The crash nevertheless brought consequences. Vine was found to have fractured a bone in his wrist and required surgery, beginning a frustrating period of rehabilitation. His comeback at the Volta a Catalunya was then cut short by another crash, and his Giro d’Italia also ended prematurely. He went on to abandon the Vuelta a España in September.
He was still able to finish the season with another significant time-trial result. At October’s Chrono des Nations, Vine was second to Remco Evenepoel, extending his run of runner-up finishes at the race to three consecutive editions. He had also claimed the silver medal behind Evenepoel in the elite individual time trial at the 2025 World Championships in Kigali.
Climbing and time-trial strength give UAE several options
Vine’s value to UAE Team Emirates-XRG is not limited to riding in support of a Grand Tour leader. Since arriving from Alpecin-Deceuninck ahead of the 2023 season, he has combined a strong record in climbing stages with the ability to compete for time-trial victories and shorter stage-race general classifications.
Before his move to the Emirati team, Vine had won two stages of the 2022 Vuelta a España. He added further Vuelta stage victories in 2025 and has twice won the race’s mountains classification. His two overall Tour Down Under victories, in 2023 and 2026, show a different side of his racing, with the consistency to protect a lead across a full week.
That combination makes him useful to a squad with several riders capable of leading major stage races. Vine can work for teammates such as Tadej Pogačar and João Almeida when the route demands sustained climbing support, while remaining an option for stage hunting or shorter races when the calendar allows.
UAE continue securing riders on long-term deals
The extension is another piece of UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s planning beyond 2027. Pogačar signed through 2032 earlier in the year, while Isaac del Toro is contracted until 2031. Brandon McNulty has a deal through 2030, and several established support riders are also tied to the organisation for the coming seasons.
Vine’s agreement provides continuity in a part of the roster where both experience and climbing ability are essential. It also keeps a proven time-trial specialist within the squad at a point when his recent performances against the clock have been among the most consistent elements of his results.
His programme for 2027 has not been confirmed. With his contract now running through 2029, the next question is whether he can put together a full campaign after the injuries that disrupted much of 2026.
