Mavi Garcia is now considered one of the most experienced athletes in the peloton, yet when you talk to her, you always get the feeling of dealing with a young girl in love with cycling who would pedal her entire life. Her sunny disposition is typically Spanish, but when we tell her we work for an Italian publication, she's ready to unleash her love for our country. "I somewhat feel Italian, when I'm in a team and there are no Spaniards, but Italians, I immediately feel at home" she tells us jokingly before talking about her new adventure.

These days Mavi is involved in the training camp with UAE Team ADQ, a team that welcomed her back with open arms after three seasons. There was talk that 2025 would be her last year, but with a season like the one just concluded, it was impossible to call it quits. Given the Spanish athlete's impressive palmares, it's difficult to say if this was the best year of her career, but she certainly achieved one of her most emotional victories: the solo win in the 2nd stage of the Tour de France. "2025 was an exciting year, but not very easy. I started quite well, but at a certain point, I could no longer achieve results. I was in shape, but I would drop in the final phases. For example, I had prepared the Vuelta very well, I was aiming to do great, but in Spain we found bad weather, it was cold and I got stuck. Weather conditions are often underestimated, but I feel very good in the heat and suffer in adverse conditions. I was a bit demoralized, but then the Tour came with that beautiful stage, which for me was not just a simple victory, but represented something more, a success I hadn't even dreamed of, it was extraordinary" Mavi tells us, who is now ready to face a new year with many goals to prove herself.

After her experience with Jayco Alula, the Spanish athlete decided to return to a team she somewhat considers home; from 2020 to 2022, she had worn the colors of Alè and then the newly formed UAE ADQ. Their paths had separated peacefully, not excluding the possibility of reuniting. "In Alè and then UAE, I always felt good, but they didn't yet have all the necessary structures to face the World Tour", something entirely normal because in some ways it was a very young team. In some way, I felt I needed to change, and so I took a different path, I wanted to have new experiences. In these years, UAE ADQ has grown tremendously, the staff has changed, and they proposed a concrete project to me not just as an athlete. It's wonderful to return." Mavi explains her choice to change teams, but in these years, the Emirates formation has not only radically changed but has become one of the beacons of the women's movement. Looking at the project in its entirety, it's clear that a first turning point came in 2022 when Mavi Garcia herself stood on the Giro podium; it was a first major result in a stage race, a clear direction towards which the team would want to tend. From that moment, many athletes arrived, big names, promising young talents, and thus a formation was structured that not only aims high but achieves enormous results. The Majorcan is yet another gem in a group that will not only support Elisa Longo Borghini in conquering her third pink jersey but will try to conquer classics and grand tours.

In the UAE ADQ powerhouse, Mavi Garcia's role will be multiple and extremely delicate: supporting Elisa Longo Borghini in major events as her last teammate, but also guaranteeing her tranquility and a valid alternative in the most complicated situations. The Spaniard will be both domestique and captain, as well as a beacon for all the young athletes growing within UAE Team ADQ. There's a lot of work to do, and Mavi can't wait to start, but there's a pressing question that keeps buzzing in our heads, so we decide to ask her directly: is this really your last year? "The thought is to stop, but I haven't yet made my final decision. I want to fully enjoy this season. Right now, I feel good and I don't want to retire from professionalism because I can no longer perform, I would like to say goodbye to everyone in the best way. Whatever my choice, my plan is to remain in the environment, cycling is part of my life and I can't give it up. The team has already told me they want me as part of the staff, and I really like that idea." Mavi tells us, explaining how her decision to return to UAE is absolutely not by chance. The Emirates team has already proposed a plan for her future beyond cycling, they recognize her great experience and don't want to miss the opportunity to have her in the staff to help young athletes grow. Mavi is enthusiastic about the idea, though she prefers to think about it later, when her adventure as an athlete is truly over.

Meanwhile, the Spanish women's movement is more active than ever, and looking at recent years, it has had an incredible surge. In 2026, Paula Ostiz will begin her professional adventure, the prodigy who won both European and World titles in the junior category, while in UAE ADQ, Paula Blasi will face her great test among the greats. "What's happening now in Spanish cycling is impressive, until two years ago there was almost no one, but now it has completely exploded," Mavi continues. "In the next season, I'll have the opportunity to work side by side with Paula Blasi, I hope to be able to transmit what I've learned over these years. She reminds me of myself from a few years ago, she's always active, can't stay still, she's a bit like my copy, just smaller."

After the training camp with the team, Mavi Garcia will dedicate herself to a week of rest at home with her family, where she'll spend the Christmas holidays. Then it will already be time to think about her debut in the Australian races. It will be a completely new experience for the Spanish athlete, who reveals her special wish for 2026: to finally do well at the Vuelta, her home race, but above all to continue being happy while riding her bike.