Elisa Longo Borghini is looking forward to a new adventure: "I'm going to an ambitious team and I'm happy with my choice"
Cycling
After 6 seasons with Lidl-Trek, Elisa Longo Borghini decided it was time for a change of scenery. The Italian signed in this cycling market for UAE Team ADQ, the women's team led by Tadej Pogacar in the men's team. In 2024, the 33-year-old veteran rider scored seven victories, most notably her win in the final general classification of the Giro d'Italia Women.
"I have lived a great season, full of emotions and results, but next year I will wear a new jersey," she says in conversation with TuttoBiciWeb. "I felt that the time had come to play again, to live a new experience. Now I'm 33 years old and I can't wait any longer. I have to do things while I have time. I'm going to an ambitious team and I'm happy with my choice. But I can only thank Lidl-Trek, and Luca Guercilena in particular, because we have had some wonderful years together."
2025
Longo Borghini gave hints of the races she might attend in 2025. "One thing is for sure: I will race the UAE Tour, then the Italian races: Strade Bianche, Trofeo Oro in Euro, Milano-Sanremo and then Flanders. Roubaix no, but I will take the start at the Brabantse Pijl, the Flèche Wallonne and Liège."
She also confirmed which was the best of her 7 wins in 2024: "The Giro d'Italia. For years I chased this coveted maglia rosa and finally I got it." After a great duel with Lotte Kopecky, the Italian managed to be the strongest in the end. "I was convinced from the day before that I would win. I was sure that I would recover better than Kopecky after the double ascent of the Blockhaus, and I did."
In what was otherwise a brilliant season, she missed one of his big goals. "Abandoning the Tour de France because of a training error was really banal and disheartening," she confesses. A fall in a training meant she couldn't take the start of the French Grand Tour. "I felt like a handicapped person and an idiot. But maybe thanks to not racing the Grande Boucle, I made it to the World Championships in good shape." She took bronze in Zurich behind her usual rival Kopecky and Chloé Dygert.
Despite the disappointment of the Tour 2024, her big goal for 2025 is different: "The Strade Bianche. It's a race I think I can win. I'd like to fill that gap." Despite being one of the most veteran riders in the peloton, she has no intention of stopping at the moment: "I signed a three-year contract, but in any case I would like to go to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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