UAE Team L’IMAD is pleased to announce that Mavi García has extended her contract with the team for the 2027 season.
What was initially expected to be the final season of her professional career will now have another chapter. After returning to the team in 2026, having previously raced for the UAE project in 2022, the Spanish champion has decided to continue for another year following a season in which she once again showed that she remains one of the strongest and most competitive riders in the peloton.
“Overall, I’m very happy,” García says. “There are always things I would have liked to do better and that, because of a crash or for another reason, didn’t turn out as I expected. But so far I’ve had a very good level of performance and I think I’ve been able to contribute a lot to the team.”
Her return to UAE Team L’IMAD also meant coming back to a very different organization from the one she left in 2022, when the project was only in its first year.
“I left the team when it had only been created one year earlier, and when I came back the change was quite big. It has grown in every sense, both in terms of structure and the level of the riders and organization.”
In 2026, she brought her big experience back to UAE Team L’IMAD, taking on an increasingly important role within the team and supporting her teammates at the biggest races and also across all three Grand Tours of the season.
“There have been quite a few special moments,” García says. “The most recent was at the Tour, when on the final day we achieved the podium with Elisa, and also at the Vuelta. But I also have to mention the training camps organised by the team. They have been very rewarding experiences, where we worked hard but always had an extraordinary atmosphere.”
That combination of sporting ambition, environment and people has played a major role in her decision to continue.
“2022 here was the best year of my sporting career and I learned so much from the team. Now the team has given me the opportunity to finish my sporting career here, helping the young riders and the team improve with everything I can contribute. That gives me satisfaction and makes me want to be part of the Team’s continuous improvement.”
At 42, García is now one of the most experienced riders in the peloton, but her motivation remains as strong as ever. The opportunity to continue doing what she loves, while still performing at a very high level, was a decisive factor in her decision.
“Maybe there are people who don’t understand it at my age, but this year I have really enjoyed racing with the team. I’m at a point where I can finally say that I have learned everything there is to learn in this sport. Because I started so late, everything happened differently.”
“Anyone would pay to have a job that used to be their hobby, and I consider myself very fortunate to be able to continue doing a little more of what I love most, especially considering that my level is still very high. It can also be a motivation for other riders because, after all, this is a job where you always have to keep breaking barriers whenever possible.”
The bond within the team has also been an important part of her decision.
“It’s very important to be able to feel comfortable and be in a good environment with the girls, and I have that here. We have spent a lot of time together this year and we are becoming more and more united. When you spend so much time away from home, that is really, really important.”
Melissa Moncada, President of UAE Team L’IMAD, welcomed the agreement: “We are very happy that Mavi has chosen to continue her journey with us. Her value to this team goes far beyond the results she can achieve in races. Mavi brings experience, leadership, knowledge and an extraordinary work ethic, and she has become an important figure for our young riders. Her return in 2026 allowed us to rediscover someone we already knew, but also to see how much our team has grown since 2022. We are proud that she has decided to continue with us and we are convinced that she still has a great deal to give to this project.”
The 2027 season will therefore have a special meaning. Her programme and long-term plans have yet to be defined, but one thing is certain: Mavi García will continue racing and will continue to do so with UAE Team L’IMAD.
“Of course, the objective will be to help the team in many ways and continue enjoying the races I take part in. We still have to discuss what I will do and in what way. I’m ready for anything, as always, but this time we’re going to take it a little more calmly.”
