Brandon McNulty could be capable of challenging for a Tour de France podium, but former American professional Bob Roll has raised the possibility of the newly crowned world champion leaving UAE Team Emirates – XRG to pursue his Grand Tour ambitions elsewhere. Despite becoming one of the peloton's most accomplished all-rounders, the 28-year-old remains part of a squad built around Tadej Pogacar, with Isaac del Toro another major figure in the team's leadership hierarchy.

McNulty's spectacular conclusion to 2026 has given Roll and fellow former professional Brent Bookwalter plenty to consider. After winning the world road race title in Montreal, the American finished fifth at Il Lombardia before taking a dominant solo victory at the Veneto Classic, his first success in the rainbow jersey.

Yet the two NBC Sports Cycling pundits have differing views on whether McNulty would be better served by chasing individual glory or continuing to contribute to Pogacar's extraordinary success.

Brandon McNulty was crowned world champion in Montreal

Could Brandon McNulty challenge for a Tour de France podium away from UAE?

Speaking on NBC Sports Cycling's Beyond the Podium podcast, Roll highlighted McNulty's climbing ability, time trialling strength and ninth-place finish at the 2025 Giro d'Italia.

"Certainly you have to consider that he has the talent to be a contender for the Grand Tour overall wins," Roll argued. "Maybe it's not the ideal team for Brandon to be on, UAE. I'm sure that the development programme that they have has led to incredible success for all the riders, but my question to you is, if Brandon were on a different team, they would certainly be racing for him in any race he starts, generally."

McNulty has enjoyed considerable individual success at UAE, winning the Tour de Pologne, Tour de Luxembourg and GP de Montréal in 2025 before adding the world title twelve months later. His Tour de France career has unfolded rather differently.

On stage 17 in 2022, McNulty produced one of the outstanding domestique performances of that year's race, driving the pace through the Pyrenees until only Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard could follow. He finished third at Peyragudes after helping his Slovenian teammate secure the stage victory, a performance that remains his defining moment at the Tour.

"Do you want to play for the dynasty?" – Bookwalter defends McNulty's UAE loyalty

Bookwalter, however, sees considerable appeal in remaining part of the sport's dominant team, even if McNulty could command a leadership position elsewhere.

"He could go to another team. He could have leadership, ride for a podium. But do you want to play for the dynasty, leave your legacy as part of this greatest of all time, or go and take the pressure, take the heat, go for yourself?" he asked. "I genuinely feel and really believe, listening to Brandon, I don't know him well personally, but that he loves it. He loves to be part of this historic time where the best of all time, Tadej, is doing things that no other cyclist has done and maybe we'll never see done again."

McNulty has been one of Pogacar's most trusted teammates since joining UAE in 2020, earning praise from Bookwalter for his willingness to work without demanding a greater share of the spotlight. "We've never once had to comment on Brandon because he shows up, he's locked in, he lines it up, he puts it all on the line," Bookwalter said.

He also drew parallels with Sepp Kuss, whose 2023 Vuelta a España triumph prompted questions about whether he should pursue Tour de France leadership instead of continuing to support Jonas Vingegaard at Team Visma | Lease a Bike.

Roll himself acknowledged that McNulty might have little desire to abandon his current environment. "You would imagine Brandon's career would be a lot different on another team. So I think he's happy where he is, and that's such a massive game changer for a cyclist's career," he said.

The American commentator would nevertheless welcome an opportunity for McNulty to test himself as a genuine Grand Tour leader, particularly at one of the other two three-week races.

"I would like, if he had the motivation and the wherewithal and he got the opportunity, to go for the GC in the Giro or the Vuelta at some point in the near future," Roll said, adding that McNulty had perhaps been "a little underutilised on the UAE squad in recent years."

Could the rainbow jersey change McNulty's ambitions for 2027?

McNulty's own immediate target is more modest than a Tour podium. Speaking to L'Équipe after winning the Veneto Classic, he acknowledged the commitment required to challenge for a Grand Tour podium and expressed his happiness at supporting Pogacar and Del Toro.

He instead wants to claim his first Tour de France stage victory, having already won stages at the Giro d'Italia in 2023 and Vuelta a España in 2024.

Roll was enthusiastic about the possibility of completing that collection. "It would be great to see him get to go for a stage when he has Giro and Vuelta stage wins," he said. "So he could join the triple-threat club, which is a very exclusive group of riders."

Bookwalter expects McNulty to remain in Pogacar's supporting cast at the Tour, although he wondered whether becoming world champion might eventually alter the American's outlook.

"It will be interesting to see maybe a little offseason reflection, you know, glancing down at those rainbow bands every training ride," he suggested. "Maybe he does start dreaming of something bigger. But I think for now, in that UAE lineup, he's a teammate at the Tour de France."

The former professional also sees a possible route towards Grand Tour leadership without a transfer, particularly at the Giro or Vuelta if the parcours features substantial time trialling. "Maybe next year is where we see McNulty lining up for a GC ride at a Grand Tour," Bookwalter said. "I do think that is realistic."

Any move away from UAE would represent a significant change for a rider who signed a five-year contract extension in April, keeping him with the team until the end of 2030. McNulty described the squad at the time as somewhere he felt at home, having spent his entire WorldTour career with the Emirati outfit.

UAE have yet to announce their 2027 Tour de France selection. McNulty has made three appearances in the race, finishing 69th in 2021 and 19th in 2022 before illness forced him to abandon on stage 18 this summer. Should he return next July, he will be attempting to claim his first Tour stage victory five years after sacrificing his own chances to help Pogacar win at Peyragudes.