UAE Team L’IMAD is pleased to announce the signing of Lily Williams, who will join the team from the 2027 season on a two-year contract.
The 31-year-old American rider, who lives in Marseille, France, arrives with an impressive palmarès and a wealth of experience gained both on the track and on the road. A World Champion and Olympic Champion on the track, Williams has also established herself as a strong and versatile road rider, achieving results including second place on a stage of the Giro d’Italia and third at Nokere Koerse.
For Williams, the move represents an important new chapter in her career and the opportunity to make a significant step forward after spending her entire professional career with the same team.
“I have been on the same team for my entire career up until this point,” Williams explains. “I started cycling after a career in running, and I needed time to build the skills and race knowledge as a rider before I was ready to make a step to a top team. Now I am 100% prepared to be a key rider in a lineup that is capable of winning Monuments and Grand Tours alike.”
Williams was approached about the possibility of joining UAE Team L’IMAD after several riders encouraged her to speak with the team. The positive feedback from her future teammates played an important role in her decision.
“When you know that your future colleagues are excited to work with you and willing to back you, then you know that the environment is good and the support for the riders is strong,” she says. “I am excited to give back to the team for this opportunity, and I know I can be a great asset across many different race scenarios.”
A rider whose strengths are particularly suited to hard and technical races, Williams brings considerable versatility to the team. She is strong in positioning, comfortable riding in the wind, effective in breakaways and has developed into an important sprint lead-out specialist. Cobbled races are also among her strengths, while her ability to read a course and anticipate how a race may unfold allows her to make decisions that can benefit both herself and her teammates.
Her attitude towards teamwork is one of the qualities she believes defines her most as a rider.
“While I have had some really nice results of my own, my real skills as a rider are in being a teammate and doing what is necessary to deliver the team to a good result,” she says. “I experience a lot of happiness and fulfillment when I can do a great lead-out for a victory or help position for the crucial moments.”
Joining one of the world’s leading women’s teams, Williams sees the move as the ideal environment in which to continue her development and take another step forward.
“Each year since I began racing in Europe my level has gotten higher and has tracked with the increasing level of the women’s peloton,” she explains. “Now that I will be on one of the world’s top teams I expect that I will have the support and resources to make another jump in my career, and I expect to be in more selections fighting for the win or attacking with a teammate.”
Her development will also continue in areas where she has already made significant progress, including time trialling and climbing, with the goal of becoming an increasingly complete rider.
“I am looking forward to continuing to work on these skills so I can be as versatile of a rider as possible,” Williams says. “I have made big jumps also in my mental training and experiencing the power of good mental skills has been exciting.”
Away from competition, Williams’ interests reflect the same curiosity and versatility she brings to cycling. She enjoys reading, sewing, swimming and working on bikes, has a strong passion for music and has been learning French since moving to Marseille.
Her ability to remain calm under pressure, communicate effectively and help others reach their goals are qualities she believes will also allow her to make a positive contribution to the team.
“I am honest, both with myself and others. This allows me to learn quickly from my mistakes and also help to build other people up. I am a natural leader and enjoy helping other people reach their goals. I am able to stay calm in stressful situations and I am a great communicator.”
With her Olympic and World Championship pedigree, growing experience on the road and strong commitment to teamwork, Lily Williams will bring a valuable combination of experience, versatility and leadership to UAE Team L’IMAD from 2027.
Her arrival also marks an important milestone in her own journey: after years of building her skills and experience in the European peloton, she is now ready to take the next step and test herself at the highest level, alongside a team with ambitions of competing for victories in the biggest races of the calendar.
Melissa Moncada, President of UAE Team L’IMAD, said: “Let’s welcome Lily to our team. She is a young woman with a wonderful personality who has shown continuous growth throughout her career. We are confident that our team will provide her with the right tools to continue her journey in the world of cycling in the best possible way.”
(ph. @oskarito1997)
