"The objective is clear: to become number one" - New UAE Team ADQ sports director met with ambitious plans

UAE Team ADQ concluded 2025 as the world's third best team, at least per the UCI ranking. Less than 2.000 points shy of FDJ - SUEZ and SD Worx, the women's version of the dominant men's team UAE Team Emirates - XRG can aim to join their male colleagues at the top of the cycling world next year.

But the new names aren't limited just to cyclists as UAE Team ADQ staff will see some changes as well. An interesting newcomer is Lionel Marie who was in charge of the China Glory project over the last four seasons. Seeing his mission as completed with the Chinese project, the former sports director of Israel - Premier Tech, IAM, Orica GreenEDGE or Cofidis brings a wealth of experience to the Emirati team.

But as he notes, it will be a new experience for himself too, to lead a large women's team. "I hadn't worked with women's teams for a long time, not since my experience with a regional committee in Normandy," Marie confides to Cyclism'Actu.

"Women's cycling has evolved tremendously, very quickly. It's become fully professional. I was impressed by the infrastructure and the staff in place for the riders: dietician, chef, mobile workshop, in-house kitchen, performance unit… It's exactly the level of a men's WorldTour team."

The biggest star of UAE Team ADQ is 2025 Giro d'Italia Women winner Elisa Longo Borghini. The Italian champion joined over from Lidl-Trek ahead of 2025 season and immediately hit the ground running. And it was Longo Borghini whom Lionel Marie got to know among very first in his new workplace:

"The welcome was excellent, especially from Elisa Longo Borghini, the team leader, winner of the Giro d'Italia, Italian champion, and winner of numerous other major races. The team is currently third in the world, but the objective is clear: to become number one, just like the men."

That ambition is reflected in the transfers made this winter as UAE Team ADQ adds only quality to their ranks with Kigali World Championships bronze medallist Mavi García, 4th at Giro d'Italia Pauliena Rooijakkers, and a talented duo Megan Jastrab & Federica Venturelli.

Finally, Marie was asked to compare the development of men's and women's cycling as he has the unique opportunity to compare the two points of view with his own personal experience:

"The evolution is enormous. A few years ago, there were no professional women's teams. Today, the structures are equivalent to the men's WorldTour, with the same requirements, objectives, altitude training camps, preparation, and staff. And the speed at which the women are progressing is impressive. Women's cycling is booming, and this is just the beginning," he concludes.