"I like challenges" - Elisa Longo Borghini hopes fresh start in UAE Team ADQ can bring her to new heights
Cycling
Elisa Longo Borghini has been very successful for Lidl-Trek in recent years, but the 32-year-old rider decided to leave the American formation. The Italian top rider will ride for UAE Team ADQ for the next three seasons, seeking a new challenge in a fresh environment.
Despite winning the Giro d'Italia Women and Tour of Flanders, Longo Borghini felt like it was time for a change. "I won’t be a cyclist forever and I want to take on a new challenge, one outside my comfort zone," she explains in an interview for Cyclingnews. "I’m an ambitious person. I like challenges and I like to go to places where I can discover things. I can do that with my new team. It’s kind of a new world."
Longo Borghini will bring her trainer Paolo Slongo to UAE Team ADQ. Brodie Chapman and Elynor Bäckstedt are also following the same path. "And there are a lot of other people I already know. There are also quite a few Italian riders riding for the team. That creates a familiar environment. It is a new challenge, but on the other hand I know where I am going."
Longo Borghini hopes to shine in a few specific races next year, in her first season with the team. The first is Liège-Bastogne-Liège, a race she has not yet won. "I really want to give it a try, because it is a race that is close to my heart."
Tour de France Femmes and the World Championships in Rwanda are also two main goals for 2025. "I had to miss the Tour this year (after a crash during training, ed.) and that was really frustrating. I hope that everything will fall into place next year. I will also try to do well again at the World Championships, especially because it is in Rwanda. That makes it extra special."
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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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