The young Ukrainian cycling talent Milana Ushakova, 18 years old from Kyiv, has signed a contract to turn professional with UAE Development Team starting from the 2026 season.
Ushakova has been living in Leuven, Belgium for the past three years, and during her last two seasons as a junior she achieved an impressive feat – winning both the national road race and time trial titles in each of the past two years. Her passion for cycling was inspired by her older brother, himself a cyclist and World Championship medalist on the track. Following in his footsteps, she has already succeeded in winning bronze medals at both the Track World Championships and the European Championships.
“UAE has always been my favorite WorldTour team. I’ve always admired the work of UAE Team ADQ and dreamed of one day becoming one of their riders,” said Ushakova.
“I worked very hard during my two junior racing seasons, which helped me attract the attention of the Ukrainian Cycling Federation. Together with the coaches and the president of the Federation, we achieved this wonderful result: I’ve signed a contract with the team I’ve always dreamed of,” explained the 18-year-old rider about her new deal with UAE Development Team for next season.
“I believe this is the best place to start my professional career,” continued Ushakova. “I also think it’s the best opportunity to grow and achieve my goals. I chose this team because I believe I can develop here in the right and gradual way – and maybe one day become a key rider in the WorldTour team.”
Milana Ushakova is a strong climber, performs well in stage races and general classifications, and has solid time trial abilities that make her a promising all-rounder.
“I would really like to work on improving my individual time trial skills, because my main goal is to become a specialist in that discipline. I also want to improve in climbing, which I consider my strongest point, but there’s still a lot to work on. And, of course, I also need to improve my weaknesses, such as my sprinting skills,” she added.
“I can’t wait to race with my new team, to learn how to work together with my new teammates and help each other during races. I expect to perform well in all the competitions I’ll take part in.”
Melissa Moncada, President of UAE Team ADQ, said: “Milana Ushakova is another young talent joining our Development Team. She’s a very promising rider, and we’re confident that within our structure she’ll have the right people and resources to grow and continue chasing her dreams.”
