‘We’re all really united’ – After much speculation, UAE Team L’IMAD confirm dual leadership strategy at Tour de France Femmes

With UAE Team L’IMAD boasting one of the strongest teams in this year’s Tour de France Femmes, including three possible GC contenders and a climbing revelation of last summer, it’s no surprise that one of the big questions ahead of the Grand Départ has been: Who will lead the team this week?

The Emirati team lined up at the start of stage 1 in Lausanne with two-time Giro d’Italia winner Elisa Longo Borghini and reigning La Vuelta Femenina champion Paula Blasi among their number, while last year’s fourth-place finisher, Dominika Włodarczyk, and winner of two of that Tour’s toughest stages, Maëva Squiban, are also in the squad.

Apparently so, says their teammate, Cyclingnews columnist, Brodie Chapman.

“No, I can imagine why there’s that perception,” the Australian told Cyclingnews when asked about any internal strife among the seven-rider squad.

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“But among the team, the girls, we’re all really united. We all know the goal. We all know our role. It’s been planned for a long time. This Tour – it’s not just like all of a sudden we show up and are like ‘Oh, who should we ride for?’

“But also, anything can happen in the Tour. We’ll let the road do the talking. But the fact that we do have options is really good for us. So amongst us all together, it’s a super exciting vibe.”

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Most other teams aiming for the yellow jersey this August, such as Visma-Lease a Bike with Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, FDJ United-SUEZ with Demi Vollering, and Canyon-SRAM with Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, are focussed on a single GC leader.

From the outside, UAE’s situation has always looked less clear, with a trio of riders who have a strong claim at leadership.

“We know there are other teams with very, very clear leaders from the outside. I don’t think other teams know our strategy, and that’s going to be our advantage,” Chapman said at the team’s pre-race press conference on Thursday.

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On paper, Longo Borghini and Blasi appear to be the best candidates for any dual leadership strategy, but the Spaniard’s impending move away, likely to Movistar, may have complicated that.

Whatever the reason, the team will be riding for Longo Borghini, who finished sixth here in 2022, and Włodarczyk, who was fourth last year, 1:46 off Niewiadoma-Phinney’s third place.

“I can understand that,” Chapman said when asked about the apparent confusion over the team’s leadership strategy.

“I mean, Elisa obviously has the experience of being a Grand Tour winner and a GC rider. Dominika was fourth last year, so of course she wants to have another go. And then Paula won the Vuelta.

“So for us, we will protect two riders, and we’ll just see how it plays out on the road. We are protecting Elisa and Dominika.”

Of course, with a hilltop finish on day one and a 21km time trial on Tuesday followed by a run of hilly stages and the mythical Mont Ventoux ascent, the road could well decide otherwise.

Last year, the four riders who made the finish – three of them Tour debutants – put in one aggressive display after another to end up with three wins and a top five after losing Longo Borghini to illness.

They’re aiming even higher at this Tour, though as far as their leadership situation goes, we’ll have to wait and see how things shake out on the race’s toughest days.

“We did try to bring a really strong team because this race is super climbing heavy, especially towards the end. So, yeah, that’s part of the reason we brought all the riders that we did,” Chapman said.

“The anticipation builds from the moment you wake up, then it’s the team presentation, zipping up your jersey, so it’s just this huge build-up, and you know that when it starts, it will just be like bam, fast and furious.”

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