Elisa Longo Borghini transfer: Hit or Miss? | At age 33, Italian veteran makes career-changing move and thrives

Whilst in the men's peloton almost all of the big stars and firmly secured with leadership roles in their own teams, the women's peloton saw a major shift. Demi Vollering, Marlen Reusser and Elisa Longo Borghini were some of the riders making moves this winter, into new teams and roles which have worked out in different ways. In the latter's case, there's no reason for criticism after a tacked 2024 season.

Longo Borghini is a rider that's been here for a long time, one of the absolute best riders ever since 2013, so it is impressive that for over a decade she has maintained a hold at the top of the cycling world. Typically, either physical or mental fatigue begins to take a toll at some point of a rider's career, but this doesn't seem to be the case with Longo Borghini, one of Italy's finest and also wife of Lidl-Trek rider Jacopo Mosca. Longo Borghini, part of the women's Lidl-Trek team since 2019 after many successful years at Wiggle High5, made a big move this winter as she looked for a new environment.

It wasn't for the lack of results or lack of support, in 2024 she was one of the absolute best in the world, but the search of a new goal, new ways of working and perhaps another boost in her already long and illustrious career. UAE Team ADQ was the destination.

Her new venture into the cycling world proved to be a good one right away, as she pedaled away from her rivals at Jebel Hafeet back in February and rode to the overall win at the UAE Tour - her first and second with her new outfit. A team goal and a second time repeating this achievement, it was the perfect start for the Italian.

Back in Europe for the spring classics campaign, it proved hard to maintain these results, something she couldn't do until the riders reached Dwars door Vlaanderen where she took the victory, followed by the Brabantse Pijl two weeks later. Second on those days were Lotte Kopecky and Marianne Vos, so not too bad of a spring... But nothing luxurious either, with a finish outside the Top10 at Milano-Sanremo (where she almost won with a late attack), a DNF at the Tour of Flanders and an absence from Paris-Roubaix Femmes also being noted.

Longo Borghini was second at the Vuelta a Burgos Feminas behind Marlen Reusser, a rival she would become very familiar with over the year, and won the Italian national championships a month later.

The most hard-earned win of the year with certainty, as the Giro Donne saw her finish inside the Top10 of every single one of the eight stages but she had to face a peak form Marlen Reusser throughout all of these. it took everything she had to take on the pink jersey, only achieved on the penultimate day of the race as on the brutal Monte Nerone, she was finally able to drop Reusser. Her lead of a mere 22 seconds meant that she had to be on full alert in the final day into Imola, where she managed to secure the GC win although her lead was reduced by a few seconds as Reusser thrived once more.

But as happened to Reusser, Longo Borghini was also forced to abandon the Tour de France Femmes in the first few days, also due to a stomach bug. It broke her rhythm, but it was possible to make a comeback one month later at Kreiz Breizh, the Breton classic in which she took a solo win.

Longo Borghini had strong results in the end o fher season with victories to show for at Tre Valli Varesine and Trofeo Tessile & Moda Donne, however a mere 15th place at the World Championships where Italy was in the middle of a tactical storm that threw them off the top results, and a 10th place at the European Championships where she attempted to follow Demi Vollering and ended up burning herself out in an extraordinary way. Ultimately a few wins this year, but if it weren't for the Giro Donne added to her palmarès, the disappointments of the Tour, Worlds and Europeans would've ended up being the highlight of her 2025...

Longo Borghini's transfer proved to be successful, and UAE Team ADQ has made the right move with a bigger budget. It has gotten a new leader whilst depriving one of its rival teams of one, and despite her 33 years of age Longo Borghini shows no signs whatsoever of slowing down. A hit, but barely.