CyclistIts time for UAE Team ADQ to kick things up a notchWhen Italian womens team Al-BTC-Ljubljanabecame UAE Team ADQ in 2022, hot on the heels of the UAE mens team winning back-to-back Tour de France yellow jerseys with Tadej Pogaar, it seemed like only a matter of time before they became the next superteam of the womens peloton. The four seasons that followed saw success come slower than many would have expected, but now it seems like the time has come when they break through to certifiably become one of the Womens WorldTours very best, and most well-rounded squads.The signing of perennial Italian National Champion and serial winner Elisa Longo Borghini was the catalyst. The 34-year-old is a powerhouse. She thrives on Italian roads, winning the womens Giro dItalia in 2024 and 2025, and shes a contender across the Classics and Monuments too, with wins in Strade Bianche, Trofeo Alfredo Binda, Tre Valli Varesine, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix to her name among many other races. And just over a year into her time with UAE Team ADQ shes won consecutive editions of the UAE Tour.Yet for her stranglehold on the Giros maglia rosa and success in one-day jaunts, the yellow jersey of the Tour de France Femmes has proved elusive. Her sixth place in 2022 was preceded by two DNFs and one pre-race withdrawal through injury. Its a tough break at the biggest race of the season, however it has allowed others in the wings to step forward and shine.Mava Squiban celebrates with Dominika Wodarczyk after winning one of her two stages of the Tour de France Femmes 2025. A.S.O./Pauline BalletIn 2025, Longo Borghini had to call it quits after just two stages. Yet despite losing their team leader, the race couldnt have gone better after that.The newfound freedom in not riding for an undisputed leader allowed young French rider Mava Squibanto go on the offensive, using her low profile to an advantage to launch an attack on Stage 6, riding 32km solo to the finish for her first WorldTour victory. And the first time was so nice that she rode away on another solo adventure the very next day over the Col du Granier to make it two consecutive stage wins and also brought her the overall combativity award.That wouldve been enough for the team to call the race a huge success, but there was more. Dominika Wodarczyk rode her own race after Longo Borghinis departure and worked her way up to fourth overall after finishing the final four stages in fifth, fifth, seventh and fourth. It was a remarkable achievement given how depleted they were, with only three riders actually finishing the race in Squiban, Wodarczyk and Irish sprinter Lara Gillespie, who finished third behind Lorena Wiebes and Marianne Vos on Stage 4.Going into 2026 the team made a few big signings that really show their ambition. Pauliena Rooijakkers has joined from Fenix-Deceuninck to bolster their GC ambitions. The Dutch rider claimed an exceptional third place at the Tour in 2024 when she climbed brilliantly on Alpe dHuez to finish with Demi Vollering, and followed that up with fourth place overall at the Giro last year. Shell be an important card to play alongside the trio of Longo Borghini, Squiban and Wodarczyk as either a superdomestique or another leader in the hilly Classics and stage races.The team also brought veteran Mavi Garca back into the foldfrom Liv-AlUla-Jayco. Still thriving at 42 years of age, the Spaniard, who rode for the Al version of the team as well as the first season under UAE Team ADQ, is coming off an impressive season that included a Tour stage win and World Championship bronze medal, and shes clearly carrying that form into 2026 with a second overall at the Tour Down Under to start her season.New signing Pauliena Rooijakkers and Squiban will be two important cards for UAE Team ADQ to play in the hills this season. Szymon Gruchalski/Getty ImagesFinishing behind Garca on the podium in Australia was teammate Paula Blasi, who was called up to the UAE WorldTour team from the development squad last summer. The 23-year-old Spaniard is a real talent, taking home a host of strong placings in elite level races, including fourth overall at the Tour de Romandie, before finishing her year at the pointy end of U23 races, with sixth overall at the Tour de lAvenir, third in the World Championships Road Race and taking the win at the European Championships Road Race. With riders such as Longo Borghini and Garca reaching the twilight of their careers, Blasi is a really promising prospect for UAE.Away from the mountains, theyve signed American sprinter and one-day rider Megan Jastrab from Picnic-PostNL. Shell add an important cog in the teams Classics machine to support Longo Borghini, and shell also be a strong addition to Lara Gillespies leadout train. As will 21-year-old Italian Federica Venturelli, who has been promoted from the development team this season. A proven time-triallist, Venturelli is the U23 European Champion in the time-trial and came third at Worlds. Alongside those new additions, the team can rely on the likes of Karlijn Swinkels and Silvia Persico to be up there in one-day races and contest for stages, while theyll be hoping for further development from Eleonora Gasparrini and two-time Irish champion Gillespie, who made a huge leap in 2025 to cement herself as one of the pelotons best sprinters a vital weapon if they are to truly be a superteam.Its been a strong start to 2026 for UAE Team ADQ. The team occupied spots two to four in the general classification at the Tour Down Under, with Garcafollowed by Blasi and Wodarczyk. A brilliant achievement ultimately overshadowed by losing a 3 vs 1 against EFs Noemi Regg on the final day. The legs were there, the execution not. That was followed up with Longo Borghinis UAE Tour victory, with Gillespie sprinting to two second places and a fifth over the three bunch finishes. Meanwhile they took three one-day wins in Spain through Squiban, Swinkels and Venturelli, with all three demonstrating great team performances. And with the Classics getting underway last weekend, Swinkels rode to a strong sixth at Omloop before Gillespie just missed out with second at Omloop van het Hageland and then getting a big win at Le Samyn yesterday with the help of a fantastic ride from teammate Elynor Backstedt.With all the teams leaders clearly in good form to start the year, expect to see the UAE kit at the business end of the Classics before attention turns to Longo Borghinis defence of the Giro, where shell face tougher competition than ever after Demi Vollering announced her schedule. However UAE Team ADQ want to win in 2026 and have already proven that when the cards arent dealt in their favour, they can make their own success.With one of the pelotons strongest climbing units, Classics powerhouses and a world-beating sprinter on the rise, 2026 should be their most prosperous season yet.The post Its time for UAE Team ADQ to kick things up a notch appeared first on Cyclist.