The home team of the UAE Tour Women 2025, UAE Team ADQ, are currently dominating the podium. Elisa Longo Borghini is in red and green, and Lara Gillespie holds the black jersey.
This is Gillespie's first race and first year on the WorldTour stage, after joining the UAE development team in 2023 and Gillespie is having a sterling start with holding the jersey.
Plus on stage two she was part of the breakaway which helped set the fastest speed ever for a women's WorldTour stage.
"I've had a really nice development with this team," Gillespie told Cyclingnews.
"I've gone in small steps, always progressing, and I've had really good support from the team these past two years. I just feel really comfortable in this environment."
"It's really great to learn from people who are at the top of their game and the top of the sport and it's a really special opportunity to work alongside Elisa Longo Borghini and Silvia Persico.
"I'm just so excited to be part of this team and to have my first year on the WorldTour. I'm looking forward to seeing how I suit the Classics a swell."
Hailing from Ireland, Gillespie is wearing shamrock studs, albeit mismatched.
"They are my lucky earrings and they are usually odd as I often lose one, hence the odd shamrocks," she said.
"I like having a bit of Ireland with me."
Gillespie currently wears the black jersey, with her teammates Karlijn Swinkels and red jersey wearer Borghini behind her in the standings.
Another rider who is instrumental in the team's current forms is domestique Silvia Persico.
Her pace up Jebel Hafeet and lead out for Longo Borghini stunned the peloton, but today Persico is feeling her efforts from yesterday.
"I'm a bit tired, I think like all the girls here, but I'm super excited because I think we really showed our strength in the last 3-4 days," said Persico.
"We hope to continue like this, and I hope to finish this race on the podium."
Persico's secret to her domestique form for the start of the season may lie in strength training.
"I did a lot of gym this winter because I think in the last year I was not at my best level," she said.
"I'm trying to do the best with my coach and I'm really happy about my shape now and I hope to keep it longer, especially for the Classics."
