Despite cycling being suspended since March due to a coronavirus outbreak, Brandon McNulty, a new member of UAE Team Emirates (transferred to the WorldTour team from American Pro Continental Team and Rally UHC), has been working for the team this season. He has already achieved notable results in the two stage races he has completed. And now the 22-year-old American rider is eager to show what he is capable of when he resumes racing this summer.

McNulty, who started the season in Argentina's Vuelta a San Juan, finished fifth in the individual time trial on stage 3 and then took third in the "Queen Stage," the fifth stage to the summit finish in Alto Colorado, to finish fourth overall.

He followed that up with another seventh place overall at the Ruta del Sol in Europe, finishing in the top five in the final three stages of the five-day Spanish mountain race.

On Thursday, according to the UAE Team Emirates website, McNulty admitted he was very happy with his start to the season, but said he was looking forward to racing with his new team once again.

"Over the winter, I was able to build a solid base of training," McNulty said. I was really disappointed that the season was put on hold because I had some good runs in San Juan and Ruta, and I'm looking forward to getting back on track." [It's] exciting to be part of a growing team and I can't wait to show what I can do when I get back to racing," McNulty said. I'm excited to have [team manager] Maxine Fernandez, [team principal] Mauro Gianetti, and [sport director] Neal Stephens, who will bring a wealth of knowledge to an already world-class group of athletes." I look forward to learning from everyone when the lockdown is lifted and everything comes back to normal sense."

McNulty won the Junior Individual Time Trial at the 2016 World Championships in Doha, Qatar. He then joined the rally in 2017, finishing second in the under-23 TT at that year's World Championships in Bergen, Norway. Earlier that season, he was the U.S. U23 TT national champion.

In 2019, his final season in rallying, McNulty won the UCI 2.1 ranked Giro di Sicilia with a solo road race stage win and an overall victory, no doubt attracting interest in him from World Tour level teams.

"I would say my first season on the World Tour has been less than normal," McNulty said of the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on his 2020 racing program.

"As a team, we're full of riders from all over the world," McNulty said. So right now I'm at home in Phoenix, Arizona with my family and my girlfriend."

McNulty said that he is "very excited to be back home.

Unlike his colleagues in countries like France and Italy, which were completely blockaded last month before the rules were relaxed somewhat, McNulty has been able to train outside all week and does not feel his life has been overly affected.

"Despite the uncertainty of the race schedule, I have tried to have fun and have ridden my mountain bike a lot to maintain my fitness level.

"My coach, Inigo San Milan, has been great. He has mainly advised me to worry less about a structured training schedule and to enjoy being able to run outside."

"My family and I stayed healthy and positive about the whole situation.