Valcar – Travel & Service team, who are single-handedly responsible for developing some of the most impressive female riders in recent years, is set to metamorphose into the newly established UAE Development Team

This new team will participate, together with UAE Team ADQ, in some of the most important races on the international women's cycling calendar and will be focused on the capacity-building of cycling talent. UAE Team ADQ registered this new team as a UCI continental team under the official name of the UAE Development Team.

As part of the UAE Development Team, UAE Team ADQ will offer mentorship and performance based professional contract opportunities to young riders. Support services offered to them also include top individual performance coaching, supervised training, mental coaching, racing programs, and the opportunity to learn from the experiences of the teams competing in World Tour events.

 This is a unique opportunity to grow alongside the UAE Team ADQ squad and experience the World Tour firsthand without overwhelming them. Nine nationalities including Emirati talented riders are part of the 2023 squad.

“With this new team and in alignment with our core values and DNA, we are glad to open a unique and professional path for young talents to aspire to a professional career. Our main goal is to identify, develop and nurture talents from our roots and beyond and create future world leaders in the women’s cycling industry. We are exiting and proud of this new key milestone in our young history. said Melissa Moncada, Head of the Team. 

The UAE Developement Team is made possible by the strengthened commitment and contribution of our partners Colnago and MyWhoosh as part of its development program to support young talents.

UAE Development Team’s Manager, Valentino Villa, (Formal Founder and President of Valcar) explains the reasons for this decision: "I made this choice to ensure a better future for the team and to give continuity to the project we have built over the past years. We have always worked to develop talent and become the pool of talent of World Tour teams. This has always been our key priority.  Obviously, I was very happy to hear this consideration for our expertise from such a big and prestigious team as UAE Team ADQ. This is a priceless recognition of our excellence and the hard work done over the past years. Now begins a new challenge that gives me a lot of motivation and a new path to walk together. We will have a much more international roster of riders including strong Emirati talents and staff. All this is a source of great commitment and responsibility, and I can't wait to start!  

UAE Team ADQ General Manager Rubens Bertogliati explains the motivation behind this new project: "Women's cycling is growing exponentially and it is part of UTA’s commitment to talent development to create and pave the way of growth to young riders who will then one day be able to represent a World Tour team. Amongst women’s cycling, there is no under-23 category, and the creation of a development team is designed to offer an intermediate step to young athletes who have time to mature under our supervision to prepare them better for the big jump to the World Tour. Developing a professional cycling career is never easy, but for riders without access to support networks, it is almost impossible. Through the UAE Development Team, we look to develop a new generation of female racing talent by identifying and nurturing them to reach their full potential.  With the new Team Manager of the Development Team, we are starting this ambitious project that I am sure will allow us to climb a further level in the world of women's cycling".  

VIR: UAE TEAM