Latest news with #UAETeamADQ
The National
09-02-2025
- Sport
- The National
Elisa Longo Borghini secures second UAE Tour Woman title after ‘incredible' race for UAE Team ADQ
Lorena Wiebes rounded off the UAE Tour Women with an impressive third stage victory, but it was the UAE Team ADQ's Elisa Longo Borghini who walked away as the overall winner at the Abu Dhabi Breakwater on Sunday. Borghini finished safely in the bunch to maintain her overall lead that she secured in the penultimate stage on top Jebel Hafeet for her second UAE Tour title following her success in the inaugural event with Lidi Trek in 2023. 'The first time I was just representing Italy and now I was representing both Italy and UAE, and we are pretty proud of it because in the end it's our, let's say, home race,' Borghini said. 'From the beginning of the season the team made a clear call that we had to be fit for this race but coming here and winning the GC, being second [with teammate Silvia Persco], and also getting away with a sprint classification [Lara Gillispie in the Intermediate Sprint] and the team classification is something just incredible. 'It shows how committed we were and how strong we were throughout the four days.' Winning the UAE Tour for the second time in three years the Italian pointed out the pressure on the expectations riding for the host team. 'Pressure is also coming from the trust that you can do it, otherwise they will not put pressure on you, because if they don't believe in you, they are not going to put any pressure on you,' she said. Talking about the final stage, Long Borghini added: 'We hoped for a breakaway to go, but there was no chance, so we just had to do it, and we wanted to pull the sprint for Gillespie. 'We tried and also when you have the jersey sometimes it's also better to stay in the front and to be out of the troubles and in the end, I just help my teammates.' Having kicked off the season with a fantastic result, Borghini is confident of taking the momentum forward. 'Absolutely, starting with the right foot is always nice and for sure we start in the best way possible and it's also a big boost of motivation for the upcoming races,' the winner of the Giro d'Italia Women last year said. Wiebes followed up her wins in Stage 1 and 2 with a third stage victory with a strong finish from Sara Fiorin (Ceratizit) and Amalie Dideriksen (Cofidis) in a bunch finish. 'It's nice to finally win the last stage of the UAE Tour Women and the team worked very hard for it. It was chaotic in the last kilometres,' the Team SD Worx – Protime rider said. 'I lost the train, but I found my way out and I was able to sprint. I knew that it was mostly headwind towards the finish, so I didn't want to come too early to the front. 'I felt somebody on the right and that meant it was time for my final effort. I hit something with my right knee and my handlebar with 10km to go. 'For a few kilometres I had no power in my right leg. But then it was full adrenalin. It's really nice to start the season with three stage wins … for the team it's something we can build on for the rest of the year.' The finish was marred by a pile-up in the peloton on the flat 128km route that was flagged off at Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Academy on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi and travelled through the city to finish on the Breakwater. 1. Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) 2. Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ) at 2'06' 3. Kimberley Le Court Pienaar (AG Insurance – Soudal Team) at 2'08' 1. Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx – Protime), 3 hrs 03 min 28 sec 2. Sara Fiorin (CERATIZIT – Pro Cycling Team) s.t. 3. Amalie Dideriksen (Cofidis Women Team) s.t.
The National
07-02-2025
- Sport
- The National
Lorena Wiebes makes it two from two after second stage of UAE Tour Women
Lorena Wiebes produced another sensational sprint to the finishing line to complete back-to-back victories in the UAE Tour Women on Friday. The SD Worx-Protime's Dutch rider punched her right hand in the air as she sprinted clear of a bunch of five rivals to complete her second stage win and retain the leader's jersey after the 111-kilometre trip from Al Dhafra Fort to Al Mirfa. Lily Williams (Human Powered Health) took second spot ahead of the UAE Team ADQ trio of Lara Gillispie, Elisa Longo Borghini and Karlijn Swinkels, who came home in that order. Wiebes, Gillespie, Williams, Longo Borghini and Swinkels were the five riders who battled through crosswinds to spend all day out in front, forming an echelon within the first few kilometres of the stage and holding off the peloton. 'I didn't expect to win from a group of only five riders that went so early, especially because I was last to come across and the peloton has been close to us for such a long time,' Wiebes said. 'We got a one minute lead in the headwind part, and we kept going. I was lucky to have three UAE riders in the group. They kept riding for the GC for Elisa [Longo Borghini]. 'It made it easier for me to sprint to victory. But you're never 100 per cent sure to win a sprint. Having won here two years ago, I knew which position I had to be in after the last curve. 'It felt like a very fast race all day, so I knew it was hard for the chasers. Now I hope to also win the last stage. It's something I'm yet to achieve in the UAE Tour.' It was a challenging second day of racing along the fast, flat desert roads, with an average speed of 48.4km per hour. 'I felt it was really fast. That's the thing that I knew from the chasing group behind, that it was hard to chase us back, as they could not go much faster than we did,' Wiebes said. Saturday's penultimate 152km Stage 3 from Al Ain Qasr Al Muwaiji to the summit of Jebel Hafeet is the longest and decisive sector which UAE Team ADQ will be using to set up Longo Borghini for the overall lead. The 2023 winner of the UAE Tour when racing for Lidi-Trek before her switch to UAE Team ADQ is well placed with her team backing her to the hilt. 'For sure it was the plan to go full gas from the start. We were prepared for the crosswinds, but it wasn't the plan to be only five riders in the lead,' Swinkels said of Stage 2. 'We had a tough day, but we had a plan to give time to Elisa [Longo Borghini] and she's happy to start tomorrow's stage with an advantage of one and a half minutes. 'She's strong in the mountains but she's also very strong in the crosswinds. I guess she'll have a bit less stress tomorrow. 'We were never really sure to stay away but we thought we could when the difference was two minutes. If we managed to keep the pace high, it would be hard for them to close the gap. 'In the last part, we gave all the energy we had left so the gap would be as big as possible. I think we did a really good job as a team. I don't think the Black Jersey (leader of the intermediate sprint) is a goal for us. I only went for it to favour Elisa with the bonus seconds. 'The Black Jersey is the warmest one so it's not what Elisa wanted to wear up to Jebel Hafeet. But we hope that after tomorrow, she'll wear the Red Jersey.' 1. L. Wiebes (Team SD Worx-Protime) - 2hr 17min 35sec 2. L. Williams (Human Powered Health) +0secs 3. L. Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ) +0 4. E. Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) +0 5. K. Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ) +6 1. L. Wiebes (Team SD Worx-Protime) - 6hr 14min 52sec 2. L. Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ) +13sec 3. L. Williams (Human Powered Health) +14 4. E. Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) +16 5. K. Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ) +21
Zawya
05-02-2025
- Business
- Zawya
UAE Team ADQ partners with Analog to accelerate human performance through AI
ABU DHABI - UAE Team ADQ, a pioneer in women's professional cycling, has announced a partnership with Analog, a leader in adaptive intelligence, edge computing, and mixed reality. This collaboration introduces a revolutionary approach to team management, equipping UAE Team ADQ with advanced tools to optimise performance, enhance decision-making, and set new standards in competitive cycling. Through this partnership, Analog becomes the Official Technology Sponsor of the UAE Team ADQ, delivering Analog Sports, a revolutionary technology developed and tested during the 2024 season in collaboration with the teams' riders, coaches, sports directors, medical staff and logistics managers. The platform, powered by Ana, the 'Analog Neural Agent' enables advanced data analytics across the entire team ecosystem to help optimise and unlock both human and organisational potential in four core areas pre, during and post-race. The areas are adaptive intelligence for strategy and training; rider recovery and readiness; automated reporting and holistic communication; and roster planning, team selection and optimised travel logistics. Melissa Moncada, President and Head of the UAE Team ADQ, said, "This partnership with Analog makes us particularly proud. Technology and artificial intelligence play an increasingly decisive role in sports, especially in cycling. Having such an innovative and influential company by our side will undoubtedly provide immense support for the growth of our team and our project in every aspect." Alex Kipman, Founder and CEO of Analog, stated, "Analog's partnership with UAE Team ADQ is a landmark step for human-centric solutions in professional cycling – and beyond. Analog Sports is quickly evolving into a fully integrated platform for team management and performance."
