UAE Team ADQ

UAE Team ADQ have gone through several incarnations in the 12 years since their inception, starting out as an Italian Continental team but now flourishing as a United Arab Emirates-registered WorldTour outfit. 

The team have had an impressive list of riders pass through their ranks, including Nicole Cooke, Chloe Hosking, Mavi García, and Marta Bastianelli.

Since being taken over by the powers behind the UAE Team Emirates men’s team in 2022, the team have strengthened their roster with the arrival of several riders from Valcar Travel & Service, which has now become the team’s official development squad. 

The team's leading light is Silvia Persico, who possesses the golden combination of good climbing and good sprinting, with results in the Classics and stage races alike. They also have fellow Italian Chiara Consonni as a purer sprinter along with the likes of Eleonora Gasparrini, Erica Magnaldi, and Sofia Bertizzolo. 

The team have already won some big races and made strides in the past few years but they have continued growth in their sights under the UAE management.

Chiara Consonni

Silvia Persico

Eleonora Gasparrini

Karlijn Swinkels

Erica Magnaldi

Dominika Wlodarczyk

Sofia Bertizzolo

Eugenia Bujak

Alena Ivanchenko

Safia Al Sayegh

Karolina Kumiega

Alena Amialiusik

Elizabeth Holden

Mikayla Harvey

Tereza Neumanova

Anastasia Carbonari

Racing

Analysis

UAE Team ADQ Team Talk: Reaping the rewards of new development pathway

The inaugural UAE Tour Women saw the home team finish third on GC through Silvia Persico, and take the overall team classification

, the team formerly known as Alé BTC Ljubljana rose from seventh in the 

 up to fourth by the end of 2023. This move is indicative of the improvements that were made by the team this season, no doubt aided by the dissolution of Valcar-Travel & Service at the end of 2022. 

The Italian Continental side closed over the winter and transitioned into 

, with five riders making the move straight to UAE Team ADQ's WorldTour squad: 

Over half of the team's victories this year were taken by the new signings, as UAE Team ADQ notched up a series of notable victories, including their first Grand Tour stage under their new moniker. 

Turning their attention to 2024, the team will hope to see some of their younger riders progress further and the team's victory tally rise, but 2023 was another good step forward for team boss Melissa Moncada's squad. 

With the new additions from Valcar-Travel & Service, alongside those of 

 (both from Canyon-SRAM), the Emirati WorldTeam went a long way in replacing the firepower lost with the departure of 

Taking a bolstered squad into the 2023 campaign, UAE Team ADQ picked up 13 victories throughout the course of the season, which for any team other than the imperious SD Worx, is a commendable haul. 

SD Worx Team Talk: How can the dominant force in women's cycling get any better?

This number may be down on the team's 17 victories from 2022, but five of those were taken at National Championships and this year's victories were arguably taken in more prestigious races. 

The year started brightly for UAE Team ADQ and new signing Persico, who was the best of the rest on Jebel Hafeet's summit finish at the UAE Tour Women, behind Trek-Segafredo's 

With this being the inaugural edition of the UAE Tour Women, it was always going to be an important target for the UAE's first WorldTeam, and the squad duly delivered - with Persico finishing third on GC and the team winning the team classification. 

After having been a flagship rider for the team in its various guises since 2016, the expected retirement of 

 at the end of the 2022 season seemed like it would be inevitably a big loss for UAE Team ADQ. It was a welcome sight, however, to see Bastianelli postpone her retirement until the end of the 2023 Giro d'Italia Donne. The former world champion wasted no time in showing that her determination had not waned, picking up the team's first victory of the season at Les Samyn des Dames in February as they kicked off a successful Spring.

Silvia Persico sprinted to victory ahead of Demi Vollering (SD Worx) and Liane Lippert (Movistar) at De Brabantse Pijl, a result that seemed imminent after she took sixth place at Trofeo Alfredo Binda and fourth place at the Tour of Flanders. Two top-10s followed at Amstel Gold and Liège-Bastogne-Liège as Persico rounded off a very impressive Spring campaign. 

In the weeks prior, Consonni finished second at Dwars door Vlaanderen and Bastianelli placed third at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, with both riders only missing out on the win in the face of remarkable performances from SD Worx. Consonni's quick finish delivered her to the win at Trofee Maarten Wynants in May, but it was in the stage races that UAE Team ADQ flourished for the rest of the season.

Bastianelli had kicked things off by winning stage 1 of the Ceratizit Festival Elsy Jacobs, before Gasparrini opened up her account with her new team with victory on stage 3 at the Tour de Suisse. The 21-year-old's win was the team's first in a WorldTour race, but they would not wait long to add to that tally. 

Ever the reliable sprinter when well positioned, Consonni handed UAE Team ADQ their biggest win of the season on stage 9 of the Giro d'Italia Donne. In pipping Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) and Ally Wollaston (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step) to the line in Olbia, Consonni picked up the first Grand Tour stage win since the team became Emirati. 

Five of the team's eight winners this season were new signings for 2023, the last of whom was the Canadian Baril, who came up trumps at the Tour Féminin de l'Ardèche to take a one-two alongside teammate Erica Magnaldi on the final stage. Magnaldi's performance secured her second overall to mark another consistent season for the Italian climber. 

The French stage race may have been Magnaldi's best result on paper in 2023, but she will be most pleased with fifth place at the Giro d'Italia Donne. 

As with Magnaldi, it wasn't all about the new signings for UAE Team ADQ this season. 26-year-old climber Sofia Bertizzolo was quiet for much of the first half of the year, but picked up a series of top-10s in the final months of the season and managed to win both stage 1 and the points classification at the Tour de Romandie Féminin in September. 

With an emphasis on sprinters and puncheurs within their squad, it is perhaps not a surprise that UAE Team ADQ did not pull up too many trees in terms of general classification victories this season. 

The Emirati squad had to wait until the final WorldTour stage race of the season to pick up their first overall victory, with Consonni finishing fourth, third and first in the three stages of the Tour of Chongming Island. Her consistency earned her both the overall title and the points classification come the end of the race.  

A dependable, if not spectacular, season for UAE Team ADQ is perhaps in line with their expectations as they slowly build under the new team structure. 

UAE Team ADQ's Top Five in 2023

Having preempted the moment since the midway point of the 2022 campaign, UAE Team ADQ enjoyed plenty of time to prepare for the retirement of veteran Marta Bastianelli. Having postponed her farewell this time last year, the Italian finally pulled the curtain down on a fine career at the Giro d'Italia Donne.

With Chiara Consonni having arrived from Valcar-Travel & Service over the winter, the team have been able to benefit from a classic master/apprentice situation, with Consonni the undisputed heir to Bastianelli's throne. Both are similar riders and the former has already more than demonstrated her ability to lead the team in Bastianelli's absence. 

For that reason, it feels the time is right for Bastianelli to draw the curtain down on her third and final spell with the team.

Elsewhere, the biggest loss for the team will be felt in the form of Olivia Baril's departure to Movistar. The Canadian had made quite a name for herself with her performances in her first season with UAE Team ADQ. Nevertheless, it should be remembered that Baril was a diamond in the rough when she made the step up to WorldTour level, and UAE Team ADQ will hope to have a similarly positive impression on new recruit Dominika Włodarczyk. The 22-year-old joins from MAT Atom Deweloper Wrocław and looks to have the making of an impressive climber. 

Joining the Polish rider in bolstering UAE Team ADQ's ranks will be Tereza Neumanova (Liv Racing TeqFind) and Karlijn Swinkels (Jumbo-Visma), the latter of whom looks to be quite the well-rounded GC talent. 

Where UAE Team ADQ's wins will come in 2024 

Swinkels may hit the ground running and prove herself in some of the early season stage races, but the majority of the victories for UAE Team ADQ will come from within their existing roster.

Consonni is the headline act and, at 24 years of age, is ripe to make the step up and fill Bastianelli's role as the team's flagship rider. The sprinting division within the Women's WorldTour peloton is largely run by Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx) and Charlotte Kool (dsm-firmenich), but Consonni should be mopping up at races these two don't feature in. 

Meanwhile, eyes will turn to Persico, Bertizzolo and Magnaldi to chip in with regular victories and good results, all of whom can realistically target stage wins in the Grand Tours. For Persico in particular, 2024 will be an important season, given her steady rise to becoming one of the peloton's strongest climbers. 

Four top-10s in the Giro d'Italia Donne this year accompanied an eighth-place finish overall, and there is certainly a sense she can improve on this standing, alongside those of 12th at La Vuelta Femenina and 14th at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. 

Although the likes of Persico, Bastianelli and Consonni took much of the plaudits for UAE Team ADQ in 2023, one rider who enjoyed a consistent season was the young Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini. At just 21 years of age, 2023 was only her third season in the pro ranks, but she proved more than at home alongside the world's best.

Her best spell of form came earlier in the campaign, with impressive rides at Ceratizit Festival Elsy Jacobs, RideLondon Classique and Tour de Suisse peaking with a stage victory in the latter. 

The Italian is a strong climber but also packs a handy sprint, as seen in the Tour de Suisse. Improving year on year thus far in the peloton, Gasparrini should be a good bet to at least pick up a victory or two in 2024, whilst further establishing herself in stage races. 

How do you think UAE Team ADQ will fare without Marta Bastianelli and Olivia Baril next season? Can they become one of the Women's WorldTour's best three teams? Let us know in the comments below! 

News

Race News

SD Worx-Protime think Demi Vollering is heading to FDJ-SUEZ

 general manager Erwin Janssen believes that 

 in 2025 but that his star rider is capable of winning more races throughout the year, starting with the 

Vollering and SD Worx-Protime have already confirmed that they will part ways at the end of the season with 

 earlier this month. Several teams have been linked to the defending 

 that negotiations with the 27-year-old have not progressed, while FDJ-Suez have remained tightlipped on the matter.

“I think she goes to FDJ, I think yes but I’m not sure. We read about Lidl-Trek and I knew that they talked for a long time with them, and then UAE but I read that it stopped. I think FDJ is the possibility and I think they have the connection with Specialized and we heard that Specialized might be the team’s sponsor for next year. One and one together equals two,” Jansen told 

Vollering has enjoyed a huge amount of success since joining the team at the start of 2021, winning both the Tour and the Ardennes triple last season. She has yet to open her account in 2024, despite strong showings in several races. Janssen believes Vollering can turn that around in the Vuelta, where she finished second last year. The eight-day Grand Tour starts with a team time trial on Sunday and is backloaded with mountain stages, which should suit Vollering perfectly.

SD Worx-Protime's team for the Vuelta Femenina

“For us and for her it’s hard that she hasn’t won until now but we shouldn’t make a big point of that because she will win a lot this year, of that I’m sure. The Vuelta is a good for her to show her real power and we have a really good group going to the race, with Marlen Reusser also back. The goal is to win the Vuelta,” Janssen said.

“With a top athlete, when they don’t win, then the hunger becomes bigger. She also said that last week. I think, for sure, the hunger is bigger and she wants to show her power and qualities. I really think that next week we’ll see the best of Demi.”

La Vuelta Femenina 2024 – essential race preview

Vuelta Femenina: Ranking the GC contenders

Janssen also played down the notion that the transfer speculation surrounding Vollering had been a distraction and played a part in her results during the spring.

“It’s difficult to say. When you feel completely happy in the team, and with last year, then things come together and you win a lot of races,” he said.

“When there are some issues or some trouble, of course, it can be in the mind of an athlete but what you also see with those type of winners is that in difficult periods they show how strong they are. I don’t think she didn’t win because of that trouble but from the other side, it’s possible but I don’t think it.”

Stay tuned to GCN over the coming days for a full and extensive interview with Erwin Janssen on the growth of the team, rider signings, and the 2024 season to date.

For everything you need to know about the 2024 Vuelta Femenina, from the 

 kicks off the Grand Tour season for the Women's WorldTour with a race that is set to be a thrilling start to next phase of the season. Not only does the eight-day stage race toss-up unique challenges every day, but it also boasts an elite field of GC contenders who are vying for the red jersey. 

Last year's champion is not on the start line, with Annemiek van Vleuten
now firmly in retirement, nevertheless, 

) has taken the belt of the best GC rider in the world and has run with it. The Dutch national champion is the favourite for the Vuelta and is, unsurprisingly, number one on our list. However, the contenders are coming as we saw in the Ardennes Classics over the past few weeks. 

), here are ten of the riders we are looking at to fight for victory at the Vuelta Femenina over the next week.

Top 10 contenders for the Vuelta Femenina

The Dutch rider finished second overall last year in a nail-biting finish and returns to the race as the rider to beat following the retirement of long-term rival and last year’s champion, Annemiek van Vleuten. Despite being the favourite, Vollering heads into the race with question marks over her form. The 27-year-old hasn’t won at all this year, an inexplicable stat given her exploits last year, and she looks shorn of her top form after a disappointing spring by her standards. 

The Dutch rider was still incredibly consistent, picking up four podiums in a clutch of the biggest one-day races of the year, but compared to last year, she looks beatable. That said, Vollering remains the most complete rider on the start list and the parcour looks good for her.

The opening team time trial will help the Dutch squad set their stall out, while Vollering has the capacity to put time into her rivals on almost every form of terrain. Stages 5 and 6 look like the perfect terrain to launch attacks, and the depth within the SD Worx-Protime stable should, on paper, be enough to manage most scenarios. Even a Vollering not quite at her very best will be hard to beat but if she can reach top form after the Classics then this could become a one-sided race relatively quickly.

The Italian climber worked for Elisa Longo Borghini during the recent Ardennes Classics, so results perhaps didn’t do her form justice, but she’s been quietly excellent this year, picking up fourth, fifth, and second overall during her early season stage races. The 22-year-old will need assistance during the opening team time trial but once the race opens up in the mountains she’ll be in her element and a potentially devastating opponent in the second half of the race. 

On her day, as she proved on stage 6 last year, she’s unbeatable. The Italian was third in the Vuelta and the Giro last year too, and with a year of added experience in the locker should be gazing at the top step of the podium as a realistic aim. The idea of Realini going head-to-head with Vollering in the high mountains is a mouth-watering prospect.

Niewiadoma has finished tenth in the last two editions of the race, which is slightly below her typically excellent stage racing record in recent times, but she heads into this year’s race with newly found confidence following her win in La Flèche Wallonne. Third in the last two editions of the Tour de France Femmes, she’s a bona fide contender for the red jersey thanks to her staying power and natural ability in the mountains. The gravel world champion also has one of the strongest teams in the race at her disposal with Neve Bradbury in excellent stage racing form this year and capable of being excellent support in the high mountains.

4. Juliette Labous (dsm-​​firmenich PostNL)

The highly rated French rider has raced sparingly this season, clocking up just eight days of action, but the 25-year-old remains a threat for the podium having picked up top-10s in La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Labous’ dsm squad will look to limit their losses in the opening team time trial but Labous was a consistent presence in all three Grand Tours last season, finishing inside the top 10 each time and claiming second at the Giro d’Italia Donne. Winning a second career Grand Tour stage would be a major achievement but if her climbing legs are in check then a place on the podium should be up for grabs. 

Keep an eye on Nienke Vinke too. Although not a GC rider in Grand Tours just yet, the 19-year-old is certainly one for the future.

The 24-year-old French rider may not have taken a victory since 2022 but her credentials as a GC rider remain resolute. Muzic has finished in the top 10 on three of her last four race outings and was sixth overall in the race twelve months ago thanks to her fourth-placed finish on the road to Lagos de Covadonga. 

If FDJ-SUEZ can keep her GC hopes in check during the opening 16km TTT, and then keep her contention through the rest of the first half of the race, then Muzic will relish the back-loaded mountain stages. Stages 5, 6 and 8 are major tests, and a pure climber will no doubt make their mark on the race. This is also a really important test for Muzic before the reported arrival of Demi Vollering to the team in the winter.

The Tour of Flanders winner had her Grand Tour plans shattered by illness, crashes and bad luck in 2023 but her last clear run in 2022 saw her take fourth in the Giro, sixth in the Tour and second in the Vuelta. She’s arguably in just as good form this season, winning Spring Classics and leading the line against the dominance of SD Worx-Protime. 

The 32-year-old, who is reportedly on the cusp of signing a contract extension on the American team, will form a vital partnership with Realini in the medium to high mountains, and she has vital experience when it comes to longer-form racing. For a rider who has been on form since February, the only question is how much she has in the tank before taking a well-earned rest and building up towards the Giro, Olympics and Tour.

Elisa Longo Borghini rebuilds from ‘destroyed’ rider to win Tour of Flanders

7. Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (AG Insurance-Soudal Team)

The 38-year-old is expected to retire at the end of the current campaign but before that point, the South African has some important appointments, not least racing the Vuelta Femenina as a contender for the podium. Consistent if not spectacular during the Ardennes, Moolman Pasio is clearly not using her final season as a victory lap before hanging up her wheels, and looks determined as ever to compete for top honours. She will be in contention for a top-10 result overall, and the lack of an individual time trial no doubt helps her credentials. 

She’s a diesel in the mountains, and few have her sticking power, so when the red jersey group is thinned down to just a handful of riders you can bet that Moolman Pasio will be there. A podium result isn’t out of the question but running from fourth to 10th feels more realistic.

Markus was fourth last year and comes into the first Grand Tour of the season with her form in check after working for Marianne Vos during the recent Spring Classics and finishing fifth in the Tour de Normandie Féminin in March. Visma-Lease a Bike won the TTT in last year’s race but will be pushed hard to replicate that performance once again, and there’s no individual time trial in which Markus can put time into the pure climbers, so the second half race could be a real test of her credentials. After finishing 11th in the Tour de France last year, another strong performance isn’t out of the realms of possibility but improving on last year’s fourth place will be tough.

The German hasn’t raced this year owing to a stress fracture she sustained last winter but Movistar have cleared the 26-year-old just in time for the Vuelta. Lippert goes into the race with obvious question marks over her stamina having not pushed a pedal in anger in almost seven months but this block of racing also represents a huge change for the all-rounder to demonstrate her qualities and without the shadow of Annemiek van Vleuten hanging over her. No one would argue with her pedigree and promise but this might be a test too soon for the returning rider. If she can hold it together through the first few stages, and remain fresh, then a top 10 could be on the cards.

UAE Team ADQ have yet to announce their line-up for the Vuelta but Persico looks like a likely starter. The Italian cracked the top ten in both the Giro and the Vuelta last year before slipping slightly to 14th in the Tour last year. The lack of an individual time trial will suit her, whilst her all-round ability should keep her in contention before the major mountain tests towards the end of the race. Targetting the top five might be something of a stretch with the parcours available but the 26-year-old should be in the mix for a top-ten.

How A Bike Tyre Is Made | Pirelli Factory Tour

I Tried To Burn Off The World's Biggest Breakfast!

Commuting Advice From Other Cyclists On Their Ride To Work!

Are Decathlon Winning Because Of The New Van Rysel? | GCN Tech Show 333

UAE Team ADQ

UAE Team ADQ

The Team

Top UAE Team ADQ Stories

UAE Team ADQ Team Talk: Reaping the rewards of new development pathway

SD Worx-Protime think Demi Vollering is heading to FDJ-SUEZ

Vuelta Femenina: Ranking the GC contenders

Subscribe to the GCN Newsletter

Name	Age	UCI Career Wins	UCI Points
Chiara Consonni	24	16	2411
Silvia Persico	26	5	1728
Eleonora Gasparrini	22	4	1084
Karlijn Swinkels	25	4	932
Erica Magnaldi	31	1	900