UAE Team ADQ opened its European season in outstanding fashion, delivering an impressive team performance crowned by a brilliant victory for Maeva Squiban on the climb of Puig de Sant Salvador, where the first round of the Challenge Mallorca Femenina came to an end.
Completing a perfect day for the UAE-based team were Silvia Persico, who finished third, and Karlijn Swinkels, who claimed fifth place, confirming the strength, depth and cohesion of a team that controlled the race with confidence and authority.
The race, held over 128.8 kilometres from Marratxí to Felanitx and valid for the Trofeo Marratxí–Felanitx, proved particularly demanding due to cold temperatures and very strong winds, adding extra difficulty to an already selective course.
The day was marked by a long breakaway that formed early in the race, while UAE Team ADQ remained firmly at the front of the peloton, calmly controlling the situation throughout the day.
The breakaway was caught on the lower slopes of the final climb thanks to the strong work on the flat by Sofie van Rooijen, Elynor Backstedt and Megan Jastrab, setting the stage for the decisive moves. The pace increased sharply, with Eleonora Gasparrini first raising the tempo, followed by an outstanding effort from Karlijn Swinkels, who led the race for much of the climb.
In the final kilometres, Silvia Persico launched a powerful acceleration that further reduced the lead group and paved the way for Maeva Squiban’s attack. Only Swiss rider Marlen Reusser was able to follow the Frenchwoman’s move.
Squiban tried several times to distance her rival with repeated accelerations, but Reusser consistently managed to respond. The decisive moment came at the final corner, where Squiban – winner of two stages at the 2025 Tour de France Femmes – launched her final attack to secure a superb victory.
After the finish, Maeva Squiban said: “I’m super happy with this victory in my first race of the season – it couldn’t have gone any better. All my teammates did an amazing job, controlling the race from kilometre zero all the way to the final climb, putting me in the perfect position to fight for the win. I crossed the line first, but this victory belongs to the whole team, and I’m really happy for everyone.”
A dream start to the European calendar for UAE Team ADQ, which now looks ahead with confidence to the next races of the Challenge Mallorca Femenina, scheduled for tomorrow and Monday.
(ph. Getty Sport)
