When we had chatted with Erica Magnaldi a few months ago before the start of the season, she had told us something specific that really struck us: "I would like not only to be always there, but to try to make a mark". This same phrase bounced in our minds when we saw her raise her arms to the sky about two weeks ago at the Chambery GP, a victory pursued and desired, but especially one that had been missing for a long time. The cyclist from Cuneo of the UAE ADQ team grabbed it on the fly with an attack from far away, taking revenge on a race where she had always finished on the podium in the past two years.

This is her first solo career victory, Erica specifies with pride and a touch of emotion. She had waited a long time for that moment, savoring it fully and finding the right push to then face the last two Ardennes races in support of the team. "I've been waiting for this victory for a long time, I wanted it, it was kind of this year's goal, though I hope it's not the only one. It gave me a great boost, the hunger to seek more, and in fact at the Ardennes I was feeling really good. At the Flèche Wallonne we worked compactly like a true team and secured a beautiful podium; unfortunately at Liège it didn't go the same way: Elisa Longo Borghini wasn't feeling well and other teammates had problems, the race ended on my shoulders, but I had already spent too much. That's the beauty and the ugliness of cycling," Erica explains, who like many athletes in the group had come from an intense high-altitude training period in Sierra Nevada. Despite the partial team disappointment, her balance is positive, especially looking ahead to the first stage race of the season.

At the Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour, we'll see a UAE Team ADQ without a true team leader, as Elisa Longo Borghini won't be at the start, but leaving a strong team with various potential winners. Erica Magnaldi is undoubtedly the most in-form athlete, but there's also Greta Marturano and other girls with similar characteristics who could do well in the mountains. If the Italian champion had been there, the objective would certainly have been the general classification, but this way everything is more open and essentially the team's plan will be decided day by day, taking into account the opening team time trial and especially the subsequent echelon stages. "I believe this year there are many tough stages with great action possibilities, certainly the fifth and seventh stages are the ones that suit me best," Erica continues. "I know the Lagunas de Neila climb very well from the penultimate day, I had tackled it two years ago at the Vuelta Burgos and finished second, so I hope for an excellent result. In the final stage, there will be few tactical moves, it will show which athletes have more endurance, certainly those who have it will give their all."

The first grand tour of the season will also be the great test for the top teams. We talked about this a lot in winter, but now it's more than clear that women's cycling has definitively changed. It was enough to see the classics to understand that there's no longer a single dominant team like SD Worx was until last year, but many well-equipped and strong teams competing in every race, which has become more open than ever. The UAE Team ADQ has structured itself compactly around Elisa Longo Borghini, bringing order to a formation that has started to make its voice heard among the big teams. "Elisa's arrival brought a great change, certainly fresh air but much more determination. Just being close to her, observing her, understanding how she trains and approaches races makes a big difference, she has inspired everyone, me first. This was seen even in races where she wasn't present, and I think that's really beautiful," Erica explains to us, with whom we try to analyze the major changes in the group. The FDJ Suez has had a similar evolution to her team, with Demi Vollering's arrival profoundly changing a reality that has begun to make its voice heard in the group in a very evident way. "The FDJ at the Ardennes were impressive, they moved compactly and had an extremely high level especially in the mountains, but they didn't manage to achieve the result they expected. Now women's cycling has deeply changed, all teams arrive with multiple leaders to make the race hard, and this creates a truly open situation. The team that surprised me the most, however, was Alpecin Fenix. There are some very talented girls, but this year they've taken a further step, united around a leader and been incredibly strong. I believe at the Vuelta we'll see a repeat of what we saw at the Ardennes: there will certainly be FDJ Suez, the inevitable SD Worx, Alpecin, Movistar with Marlen Reusser, and us. We'll have fun."

Everyone's eyes are on Demi Vollering, the defending champion, but we can expect a great battle and a more open race than ever. It's clear evidence of a women's cycling that is not only changing but evolving into a form increasingly similar to men's cycling without losing its own characteristics. Erica Magnaldi herself confirms how more and more fans are now following women's races that provide much more adrenaline; the classics were a perfect example: while among men the same Pogacar and Van der Poel always won, among women the challenge has never been so fierce. A new chapter of sport is being written where other realities are joining the once-unbeatable SD Worx, ready to steal the spotlight. "It's a more combative, more open cycling, and this is really doing good for the movement. I'm happy to be part of it," says the Piedmontese cyclist before saying goodbye. She's ready to head to Spain where the big goal is to assault a stage victory, with the rest potentially following. And from Italy, everyone is ready to follow her.