UAE Team ADQ have a stronger roster and bigger goals for 2025, with new team leader Elisa Longo Borghini making her debut at the UAE Tour Women's race, the team's home race. Expectations are high but so too are the team's ambitions.
"It's always nice to come to our home race," UAE Team ADQ directeur sportif Cherie Pridham told Cyclingnews.
"There's a lot of expectation, a lot of excitement, of course some apprehension, but we've prepared well and we're looking forward to getting the race underway."
Pridham is confident about the team's chances in the UAE.
"We've strengthened the team significantly. We've brought Elisa Longo Borghini here for the GC chances and a strong support team with clear objectives. I think we're ready."
It's not just Longo Borghini who could shine at this race.
"You can never discount Silvia Persico. Persico is Elisa's right-hand lady. We've got a strong team capable of adapting to whatever the wind and weather situation throws at us."
Elisa Longo Borghini won the 2024 Giro d’Italia and the Tour of Flanders with Lidl-Trek and is a natural figurehead for UAE Team ADQ but the team signed six riders for 2025 and now have an 18-rider roster.
Other reinforcements from Lild-Trek include Elynor Bäckstedt and Brodie Chapman, who won the Australian national road race title on her debut for UAE Team ADQ.
Chiara Consonni has moved to Canyon-Sram but the team have retained much of their core and consistent squad, including Silvia Persico, Erica Magnaldi and Eleonora Gasparrini."
"You've got to remember this team is still a young team," said Pridham, reminding him that the team was only created in 2021.
"It's my second year and there's been some significant changes, but all positive. Like they say, Rome wasn't built in a day.
"I think as much as you strengthen the riders, as much as you have to work on the infrastructure and working on the ground is probably as important as it is building the riders from the top."
The extensive women's 2025 transfers is a good sign of the sports development according to Pridham.
"The women's racing scene is changing. It's becoming more and more parallel to the way men operate from my perspective. I think we're going to be on a par," Pridham said.
"A lot of teams, and in particular at this race, they've had a lot of changes, and that's the growth of women's racing.
"I think the strength and depth in each team is becoming clearer. This year particularly, you can see a lot of movement in the market, it's the same for us with Elisa.
"You have to adapt and take nothing for granted, of course. Just stay level-headed and we can only deal with what's in front of us."
