UAE Team ADQ celebrated another victory this past Sunday as Federica Venturelli sprinted to success at the Dwars door de Westhoek in Belgium.
The win came on the same day that teammate Elisa Longo Borghini claimed the final stage of the Giro d’Italia Women in Saluzzo, capping off a memorable day for the team.
The 131.6-kilometre race started and finished in Boezinge and attracted a strong field featuring several WorldTour teams. UAE Team ADQ lined up with a mixed squad of WorldTour and UAE Development Team riders.
Strong teamwork sets up the race
Throughout the opening stages, Febe Jooris, Fee Knaven, Magdalena Leis and Abigail Miller played a key role in keeping the team well positioned.
Their efforts helped Venturelli stay protected as the race approached its decisive phase.
As the pace increased, a group of 13 riders broke clear. Venturelli successfully made the selection and became the sole UAE Team ADQ rider in the front group.
Outnumbered but in control
The Italian rider faced a difficult tactical situation.
Several rival teams had multiple riders in the breakaway, including four from Team SD Worx-Protime and three from AG Insurance. Despite being isolated, Venturelli remained attentive and responded to every important move.
The leading group worked well together for much of the race. However, the intensity increased significantly on the final lap.
Perfect sprint seals the victory
The closing kilometres saw repeated attacks from Team SD Worx-Protime as they attempted to use their numerical advantage.
Venturelli was forced to spend valuable energy covering the moves. Despite the pressure, she stayed composed and remained in contention heading into the finish.
In the final sprint, she positioned herself perfectly and found space on the opposite side of the road from many of her rivals.
The move proved decisive.
Venturelli powered to victory ahead of Lonneke Uneken (VolkerWessels Cycling Team) in second place and Marta Lach (Team SD Worx-Protime) in third.
The result marks her second victory of the season following her win at the Clasica de Almeria. It also carries added significance after a lengthy period away from racing due to physical issues.
Rider reaction
Federica Venturelli said after the race:
“I was really happy to return to racing in Belgium today after missing all the spring races because of physical problems. I have always loved racing in Belgium, so it was very emotional for me to come back here.
It was a tough day because we started with only five riders, while many other teams had seven. We managed to stay near the front throughout the first part of the race and then this breakaway of 13 riders went clear. I was the only UAE Team ADQ rider there, while other teams had multiple riders, including four from SD Worx and three from AG Insurance.
We all worked together well, but the final lap of the circuit was very demanding because the SD Worx riders repeatedly tried to take advantage of their numerical superiority by launching attacks. I had to use a lot of energy to respond to those moves.
The sports directors kept me calm over the radio and encouraged me to believe in my sprint. To be honest, I wasn’t completely convinced because there were several strong sprinters in the group. However, I managed to start the sprint in a good position, found space on the opposite side of the road from where most of the others were moving, and was able to take the victory.
This win makes me incredibly happy. I want to thank all my teammates, who did an amazing job during the first part of the race in a large and very chaotic peloton, allowing me to be part of the decisive breakaway.”
To learn more on Team ADQ, listen to Inside UAE Team ADQ with Melissa Moncada on the Mettleset podcast
