The 2026 racing season of UAE Team L’IMAD officially came to a close last Saturday, with Elisa Longo Borghini and Giada Silo claiming the Italian Individual Time Trial titles in the Elite and Under-23 categories, respectively, in the final race of the season.
The 2026 campaign has been an extraordinary one for the Emirati team, which, for the first time in its short history, finished the season at the top of the UCI Women’s WorldTour Team Ranking. This achievement reflects meticulous planning and the outstanding work of every member of the team, from the riders to the staff. It also marks the culmination of a journey driven by Abu Dhabi’s commitment, efforts and investment, with the ambition of becoming an international benchmark for performance, professionalism and the sustainable development of women’s cycling.
Riders representing the team secured a total of 58 victories across the 2026 season. Of these, 31 were road race victories for the WorldTour team, UAE Team L’IMAD, while the UAE Development Team claimed 13 road wins. A further 14 victories came from gravel and track racing, as well as riders’ commitments with their respective national teams.
Across the Elite and Under-23 categories, the team’s riders claimed 17 national titles, six continental titles across Europe and Asia, and two world titles. Elisa Longo Borghini won gold in the Mixed Team Relay Time Trial, while Lara Gillespie became world champion in the Track Points Race. The season also yielded an impressive total of 48 medals across various championships, in addition to 72 other podium finishes.
Eleven riders from the WorldTour team and eight from the Development Team secured at least one victory during the season, bringing the total number of winning riders to 19. With eight individual victories, Elisa Longo Borghini was the team’s most successful rider of the year, followed by young Spanish Paula Blasi, with seven wins, and Dominika Włodarczyk and Lara Gillespie, with five victories each.
Among the season’s most significant achievements were Elisa Longo Borghini’s overall victory at the UAE Tour Women, Paula Blasi’s triumphs at the Amstel Gold Race and the Vuelta a España Femenina, Karlijn Swinkels’ victory at the Trofeo Alfredo Binda, and Dominika Włodarczyk’s double win at Itzulia Women.
The team also secured a historic podium finish at the Tour de France Femmes, with Elisa Longo Borghini taking third place in the general classification. This achievement complemented her stage victory at the Giro d’Italia Women, alongside the medals earned by the team’s riders at the UCI Road World Championships and the European Championships.
Further strong performances from Eleonora Gasparrini, Lara Gillespie, Maeva Squiban and their teammates underlined the squad’s competitiveness and consistency throughout the season. Squiban brought her campaign to a close with victory at the Chrono des Nations, having previously claimed the European title in the Mixed Team Relay Time Trial. Meanwhile, Ireland’s Lara Gillespie became world champion in the Track Points Race in Shanghai.
THE 2026 SEASON IN NUMBERS
- UCI Women’s WorldTour Best Team 2026
- 58 total victories across road, track and gravel
- 31 road victories for UAE Team L’IMAD
- 13 road victories for UAE Development Team
- 1 Grand Tour – La Vuelta Femenina
- 2 World Titles
- 6 Continental Titles
- 17 National Titles
- 3rd place in the Tour de France Femmes general classification
- 2026 Tour de France Femmes Best Team
- 19 different winning riders
- 48 medals
- 72 Other Podiums
- 31 riders – 20 WorldTour and 11 Development Team
- 140 races
UAE Team L’IMAD – 2026 Roster:
Alena Amialiusik, Elynor Backstedt, Paula Blasi, Brodie Chapman, Mavi García, Eleonora Gasparrini, Lara Gillespie, Alena Ivanchenko, Megan Jastrab, Febe Jooris, Elisa Longo Borghini, Erica Magnaldi, Greta Marturano, Silvia Persico, Pauliena Rooijakkers, Maeva Squiban, Karlijn Swinkels, Sofie van Rooijen, Federica Venturelli and Dominika Włodarczyk.
UAE Development Team – 2026 Roster:
Safiya Alsayegh, Amalia Debarges, Magdalena Leis, Fee Knaven, Zahra Hussain, Abigail Miller, Eilidh Shaw, Giada Silo, Rinata Sultanova, Celia Torres and Milana Ushakova.
