Tomorrow the Giro d'Italia Women begins and Elisa Longo Borghini is ready for battle. The rider from Ossola, who just reclaimed the national title a week ago, arrives at the pink race as the reigning champion and determined to fight tooth and nail to try to wear that special jersey again. It won't be an easy task, Elisa immediately says without mincing words, but she has a group of determined girls who will support her in the best possible way during the difficult race days.

Last night, in a small press meeting organized by UAE Team Adq, the Emirates team was almost completely present and ready to answer many questions. All eyes were on Elisa, who, smiling and cordial as usual, talked about her approach to the Giro. "It's a great emotion to return to the Giro with the national jersey, each one is special, has its own story, and I believe this was conquered with the entire team. For me, it will be like a year zero, I'm happy to have the number one, but every race is different and I feel very realistic: it will be difficult to repeat. This year I didn't race before the National Championship, I was in training camp with the team, I have strong and motivated girls with me, we've spent a lot of time together and we're ready to tackle eight stages giving our maximum," Elisa explained.

It won't be an easy course to interpret, many have defined it as less challenging than last year, but certainly the lineup of athletes at the start is truly high-level. The opening time trial will certainly be indicative, last year it was decisive for the final victory, but there's also the heat factor that could significantly impact the race. "On paper, the decisive stage is Monte Nerone, but I believe we must also pay attention to the previous days, such as those finishing in Pianezze and Terre Roveresche, particularly in that stage it will be very hot. I haven't tried the Monte Nerone climb, I've studied it carefully on Veloviewer and I'll certainly need to manage myself, it's exposed to both sun and wind. We must be realistic, it won't be easy to win this Giro, there are very strong athletes, but I'll try to give my maximum fighting from start to finish," Elisa continues. This year she'll need to watch out for an aggressive SD Worx with the return of Anna Van Der Breggen and Lotte Kopecky, the Fdj Suez duo Juliette Labous and Evita Muzic, but especially Marlen Reusser. The Swiss is the most feared opponent not only for the opening time trial but also for her incredible climbing endurance, a challenging athlete whose stock continues to rise.

Elisa Longo Borghini can count on the help of experienced Brodie Chapman, with whom she celebrated last year's Giro victory in the Trek leader jersey, Alena Amialiusik, Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini could be an interesting piece for sprints and slightly undulating stages, while Erica Magnaldi and Greta Marturano will be fundamental for the climbs. For Silvia Persico, it will be a very special start, as the Giro will begin in her hometown Bergamo, and everyone knows that racing at home always provides an extra boost. "I wanted to be at the Giro precisely because of the start in Bergamo, which gives me great motivation, it's the city where I grew up and it's part of me," says Silvia. "We spent 20 days in training camp together, we've worked hard and we're here to collect something important. I'm happy to be by Elisa's side, she's incredible because she can motivate us all. Last year I was so happy when she won, and I can't even imagine how happy I would be if she could win again."

It was a very special eve for the Emirates team, which announced the renewed four-year partnership with ADQ sponsor, an excellence from the United Arab Emirates that deals with investments and infrastructure development and can boast over 89,000 employees. An important marriage between the two realities that have created what is today one of the most competitive teams in the women's cycling landscape. All the major team positions were present at the partnership renewal announcement, starting with Yana Seel, C.O.O of the team.

"It's a pride to be the president of this formation. When we started this adventure 4 years ago, I would never have thought we'd reach this result. It's a beautiful journey we're proud to continue. I believe the UAE Adq Team represents a milestone in the world of cycling, a women's team that believes in women, a revolutionary bet for our country. We're living in a fundamental historical moment where we can proudly carry forward gender equality rights, a team of talents led by women," said Melissa Moncada, team president of UAE Adq, emphasizing the importance of the women's movement. Words of satisfaction also came from Anas Al Berguthi of ADQ, who reiterated the pride in supporting an Emirates team that constitutes an excellence of their country. "We're happy to continue this journey together. It's a young team that has already achieved important milestones. We are an investment and infrastructure company, and the initial partnership with the team has become a growth opportunity. In our country, we've started investing in cycling infrastructure with many kilometers of bike paths to make the sport accessible to everyone."