UAE TEAM ADQ

The first race of the 2024 cycling season perfectly explains what it means to be a development team. On a day when results did not come, the UAE Development Team riders had a good race and showed that they can react well to some small mistakes.

Make mistakes, grow, learn and then improve. This is the meaning of a team that gives the opportunity to so many young athletes to gain experience in the world of professional cycling.

After a good start to the race, the girls led by Davide Gani and Aida Nuño Palacio failed to get into the most important breakaways that characterized the Women Pro Cycling Costa de Almería. Despite this, Lola Bryson-Boe, Beatrice Caudera, Elisabeth Ebras, Sara Fiorin, Federica Piergiovanni, Francesca Pellegrini, Emma Redaelli and Sophia Zwaan did the right thing, working to close the gap from the breakaways.

A correct and well-executed choice that allowed them to face the last kilometers with the peloton. In the final, however, the energy was lacking and girls from the UAE Development Team failed to enter the Top 10 in the race won by Olivia Baril.

Certainly the performance of Lola Bryson-Boe is worth noting. The very young New Zealander born in 2005 was the best of the UAE Development Team (26th place) and did very well for three reasons.

The first reason is that this was by far her first race in the elite category. The second reason is that, having a thriathlete background, it was not so easy for her to be in the bunch. The third reason was that Lola had fallen in training during the week. No serious consequences, but she certainly had not shown up at the start of the Women Pro Cycling Costa de Almería in optimal condition. Nevertheless, Lola was able to finish this race showing good quality.