Transfer Market - La Vuelta winner Paula Blasi might have chosen her team for 2027, and it's not UAE

Paula Blasi has, in just a few weeks, become the most coveted name on the women’s cycling market. The 23-year-old Spaniard has burst spectacularly into the world elite, turning her future into one of the main points of interest in the Women's World Tour peloton.

The results fully explain the buzz. In under a month, Blasi won the 2026 La Vuelta Femenina, triumphed at the Amstel Gold Race Ladies, finished third at Flèche Wallonne, and took fifth at Liège–Bastogne–Liège Femmes. A run of performances that has placed her among the international stars of women’s cycling despite her youth.

Her breakout quickly stirred the market. Once it emerged that she had no intention of renewing with UAE Team ADQ, several teams moved to position themselves for her signature. Although Blasi is still under contract for the 2027 season, all signs point to a future away from the Emirati setup once that deal ends or even soner.

Italian journalist Ciro Scognamiglio of La Gazzetta dello Sport, one of the most plugged-in voices in the international cycling market, reported that just a week after her La Vuelta Femenina victory, five teams were interested in signing the Spaniard.

The list included UAE Team ADQ, still hoping to convince their superstar to stay, along with Movistar Team, Lidl-Trek, Uno-X Mobility, and FDJ-Suez.

Movistar Team’s presence naturally sparked excitement among Spanish fans. It’s rare for a homegrown rider with era-defining potential to hit the market. The chance to bring the new standard-bearer of Spanish women’s cycling under the telephone squad’s colours was hard to ignore.

A signing of that magnitude would also have been a major statement, both sporting and branding, for a structure that has consistently backed national leaders within its ranks.

However, the latest reports suggest the outcome may soon be settled. It is indicated that Lidl-Trek has clearly moved to the front in the race for Blasi’s signature.

“At this moment, our sources have confirmed that, for the Spaniard Paula Blasi, Lidl-Trek is the most likely team she will join from 2027,” said the Italian journalist.

The update marks a significant shift from the landscape of just two weeks earlier. While several teams remained attentive, La Gazzetta dello Sport’s sources now place the German outfit as the leading candidate to secure one of the season’s standout revelations.

Pending any official confirmation, the sense is that the women’s market already has its central figure. At just 23, Paula Blasi has shown she can win a Grand Tour and perform at the highest level in some of the calendar’s most prestigious classics; whilst her sharp rise in the cycling world means that more evolution is still possible in a short period of time.

It is no surprise, then, that several of the world’s best teams have tried to position themselves in the bidding. However, if the most recent reports are confirmed, Lidl-Trek will have outpaced the other suitors to sign a rider destined to mark an era in the international peloton.