Paula Blasi confirmed her status as one of the peloton’s strongest climbers, securing the Queen of the Mountains classification at the Santos Women’s Tour Down Under, as UAE Team ADQ delivered a commanding team performance to place three riders inside the top four of both the final stage and the overall general classification.
At the conclusion of the opening Women’s WorldTour race of the season in Australia, UAE Team ADQ finished second, third and fourth overall, with Mavi García taking second place, Paula Blasi third, and Dominika Włodarczyk fourth. The team also secured the team classification after animating and shaping the race throughout its decisive phases.
The final stage, the most demanding of the event, covered 126.5 kilometres from Norwood to Campbelltown, South Australia and featured a tough, selective course designed to test the peloton. UAE Team ADQ adopted an aggressive race strategy from the outset, particularly in the closing kilometres, determined to apply sustained pressure on the climbs.
Following a long two-rider breakaway that was eventually reeled in by the peloton, the race entered its decisive moments. Strong work on the front by Alena Ivanchenko and Erica Magnaldi set the platform for the team’s leaders to attack. Blasi collected valuable points on the climbs to secure the Mountains jersey, before García launched her move. Soon after, Włodarczyk attacked decisively, opening a gap 16 kilometres from the finish.
On the final ascent of Corkscrew Road, the Polish rider was joined at the front by teammates García and Blasi, along with defending race champion Noemi Rüegg of EF Education -Oatly. UAE Team ADQ repeatedly attempted to capitalise on their numerical advantage with a series of attacks, but Rüegg responded each time. In the final sprint, as fatigue took hold, the Swiss rider proved the fastest, claiming both the stage victory and the overall title.
While the final result brought a narrow sense of frustration, the performance marked a powerful statement from UAE Team ADQ. Three riders inside the top four of the general classification, a QOM jersey, and the team classification underlined the squad’s depth and early-season form.
After the race, Blasi reflected on both the achievement and the missed opportunity:
“My personal goal today was to defend the Green Jersey, and I managed to do that. Given how the finale unfolded, I can’t be completely happy, there’s a bit of disappointment, but we know we have a very strong team and what happened today will be an important lesson for the rest of the season.”
García echoed the sentiment, acknowledging the strength of the eventual winner while pointing to the team’s intent: “We tried until the very end, but we have to congratulate Noemi Rüegg, who once again proved to be very strong and managed to repeat last year’s victory.”
Despite missing out on the overall win, UAE Team ADQ leave Australia with confidence, momentum, and a clear signal of their ambitions for the Women’s WorldTour season ahead.
To learn more on Team ADQ, listen to Inside UAE Team ADQ with Melissa Moncada on the Mettleset podcast
