MELISSA

MONCADA

YULIA

BIRIUKOVA

SAFIYA

ALSAYEGH

VALENTINO

VILLA

Sport is a force for good and this is why it matters

The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace is celebrated annually on 6 April. Now in its 10th year, this day presents an opportune moment to reflect on the growing role of sport in building peaceful and inclusive communities and enriching people’s lives across the globe, and particularly in the UAE.

In an increasingly divided world, sport still has the power to bring people together and bridge differences. From cheering for favorite teams in the World Cup to celebrating star athletes and the underdogs in international competitions and the Olympics, sports create an atmosphere of pride, an appreciation for human resilience, and a sense of togetherness that’s difficult to match. At community level, practicing sports not only makes our children and youths healthier, but it also teaches them about responsibility, fair play, team spirit, working out winning strategies together, and resolving conflicts with competitors peacefully. This is particularly why sports can be a game-changer in building societal harmony and encouraging the values of respect, developing the skills of listening with empathy, compassionate communication, and finding areas of commonality and shared humanity among people with seemingly little in common.

In the UAE, which is a country that’s already among the safest in the world and home to people of more than 200 nationalities, we are witnessing a growing interest in sports. It is recognized as a platform for inclusion and community development, with unprecedented investments in infrastructure, initiatives, and world-class sporting events filling up the Abu Dhabi and Dubai calendars throughout the year. This strong emphasis on sports across the UAE has paved the way for cycling to take its share of the spotlight. And with the development of an enabling ecosystem, cycling in Abu Dhabi has become accessible to people of all ages, with bike sharing and miles of new cycling paths and tracks available all over the city. And with this growth in cycling, UAE Team ADQ, the UAE’s professional women’s cycling team was established, not only to represent the UAE internationally but also to harness this growing interest in cycling to promote values that are best demonstrated through sports and build a legacy that matters to the people of the UAE.

We have achieved great success and learned a lot since the establishment of UAE Team ADQ

in 2021. And while we continue to celebrate our success at regional and international events, in the months and years to come, we need to continue providing opportunities and remove the barriers to the uptake of cycling, especially among women. This has never been more important, because if we harness the power of sport, we will not only improve the physical and mental health of the nation, but we will also connect communities, nurture a culture of achievement, and build an inclusive society for all.

A new era is coming for the UAE Development Team. Being pioneers in the development of young female athletes has given the team and its girls a great advantage.
The first fruits of this new phase have already been seen in the last 15 days. In fact, after the valorization of Yuliia Biriukova, Anastasia Carbonari, Lara Gillespie, and Linda Zanetti (athletes who were called up for the World Championships), other girls have also started to enter the Top 10 consistently.

The first Top 10 was for Sara Fiorin. The Italian sprinter achieved a fine second place in the race in Valvasone (Italy). A performance that demonstrated the progress of a disciplined, intelligent athlete with great acceleration.
The second Top 10 was for Francesca Pellegrini. After spending the first months of the year prioritizing her school commitments, Francesca Pellegrini took an excellent fifth place at La Picto - Charentaise (France) in the sprint. This result is very positive, because Francesca is fast, but she is not a sprinter.
The third Top 10 was finally for Elisabeth Ebras. The Estonian U23 national champion finished seventh in Grote Prijs Yvonne Reynders (Belgium). This was a very interesting result because Elisabeth had the lucidity and skill to go into a breakaway together with other riders. This is a result that shows the growth of this athlete.

But a new era has also begun for the UAE Development Team for a second reason. In the coming weeks the team management will announce the arrival of new young girls who have achieved excellent results at the Junior Road and Time Trial World Championships in Glasgow.
The new athletes will be able to grow by following the more experienced athletes of the UAE Team ADQ, who will sometimes race alongside them. Exactly what will happen tomorrow at Konvert Koerse (Belgium). In fact, Eugenia Bujak and Sofia Bertizzolo of the UAE Team ADQ will race together with Anastasia Carbonari, Beatrice Caudera, Sara Fiorin and Linda Zanetti.
 

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While some brands diversify, we specialise in helmets to ensure we offer the very best products every time. We never stop ceasing to know, refine and develop bicycle helmets so that they are ever safer and more innovative.

ADQ is an investment company and strategic partner of Abu Dhabi’s government committed to accelerating the transformation and growth of the Emirate into a globally competitive and knowledge-based economy.

ADQ’s commitment to embedding a performance-driven culture and supporting the community is underpinned by its ‘Performance Driving Us Forward’sponsorship platform. The platform prioritizes partnerships that positively impact the communities and create opportunities by building sustainable programs to enhance the lives of the next generation of athletes representing the UAE on the global stage.

ADQ’s title partnership of UAE Team ADQ is aimed to help promote women in sports and cycling to encourage fitness, competition, and physical and mental wellbeing. The team aims to frontier the women’s cycling movement in the UAE by influencing and encouraging the emergence of more women in this exhilarating sport and by creating a source of support and inspiration, particularly for the Middle East female community.

Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is the worldwide governing body for cycling.

The contribution given by the professional riders was fundamental in the long prototyping phase and subsequent road tests and then directly in the races; the input received from the team made it possible to work on clear and defined areas, such as: aerodynamics, weight, real dynamic stiffness, geometry, robustness and reliability.

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It was a very demanding edition of the Giro dell'Emilia Internazionale Donne Elite with the climb of San Luca twice.
There were 103.5 kilometres to cover from Carpi to Bologna. 

The first breakaways of the day were cancelled, the group came back together on the first climb and a small group of about fifteen athletes was selected to lead, with Sofia Bertizzolo, Silvia Persico and Erica Magnaldi also in the front group. 

On the final climb, first Muzic (FDJ) and then Labous (DSM) tried to attackt, but it was Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ - SUEZ) who made the decisive attack and the Dane went on to win the race by a distance. 

In the end Sofia Bertizzolo finished the race in seventh place. Magnaldi 9th and Persico 11th. 

(ph. Sprint Cycling Agency)