Embedded with UAE Team ADQ on race weekend
A winning environment
The days before Trofeo Alfredo Binda were, in a word: miserable. Rain, wind, cold, the kind of weather that makes recon rides feel more like punishment than preparation. UAE Team ADQ wisely skipped it entirely.
The team of six riders plus staff mostly lived under cover, huddled around the bus, tucked back at the hotel, with Mavi Garcia sneaking in one short spin when the rain finally gave her a break.
Inside the team bus on a race weekend, it’s always organised chaos in the best possible way. Mechanics running their routines, DSs bent over the roadbook, music humming in the background, coffee appearing out of nowhere, the driver cleaning and re-cleaning every surface – and with the amount of rain this weekend, there was plenty of cleaning to do. Everyone locked in but relaxed enough to crack jokes, sip espresso, and watch the junior race roll by.
We spent the weekend alongside Helena Hlasova, Canadian-born founder of the Swiss women’s cycling community Riderawr – and she threw herself into it fully. At one point she snuck onto the team bus and left motivational messages on the mirror. At another, she was roadside with Elisa Longo Borghini, Silvia Persico, and Eleonora Gasparrini, all of them cheering the junior riders together. Elisa’s niece was in the race, which made Elisa the loudest person on that stretch of road. Pros acting like fans, a fan welcomed into the team’s world; for a few minutes it all blurred together in the best way.
That’s the thing about a good team environment: it’s welcoming, not closed off. Riders trust each other, everyone knows their role, and the vibe stays light even when the stakes are high – the kind of atmosphere that makes you understand immediately why this team wins things. Helena saw it all weekend, and so did we.
By race morning, the universe was finally cooperating. Rain eased, roads dried, and the energy around the start line shifted from tense to electric. The course had been tweaked – 10 km cut to avoid the snow-covered main climb – but nobody was complaining.
After the lunchtime start on the shores of Lago Maggiore, one thing stayed constant: UAE Team ADQ at the front. Moves went up the road, most came back, and then one really stuck: three riders clear, including Karlijn Swinkels. The gap grew as this trio started the final lap, the radios got louder, the team car got a little rowdier. The story we had come to tell was writing itself in real time.
By the finish, it worked. A win. Trofeo Alfredo Binda was 27-year-old Karlijn Swinkels’ first WorldTour win.
The celebration that followed was a reminder of why everyone loves this sport. Cycling gives the trophy to one rider, but everyone around that bus knows the real story. It’s never just one person. Maybe it’s the teammates who shredded the race with repeat attacks, the DSs on the radio, the driver keeping everything running – and maybe in part, it’s the motivational messages someone snuck onto the mirror before the race. For anyone watching from the roadside, weekends like this are the whole point: bad weather, good vibes, beautiful chaos, and a finish line worth cheering for.
