Silvia Persico will continue her career with UAE Team ADQ until the end of 2028 after signing a new three-year deal. The 28-year-old Italian, who joined the Emirati squad in 2023, remains a central figure in a project that has steadily grown into one of the most competitive in the women’s peloton.
Persico’s time with the team has been marked by both victories and setbacks. She claimed prestigious one-day wins at Brabantse Pijl and the GP de Plumelec-Morbihan and has twice finished on the podium at the UAE Tour Women overall. Her aggressive racing style has also delivered consistency, with highlights including 5th at the 2025 Amstel Gold Race and multiple podiums earlier in the season in Spain. However, her trajectory has not been without challenges. Physical issues have disrupted her rhythm at times, but her determination has seen her bounce back with strong results.
Beyond her own palmarès, Persico has established herself as a crucial support rider. In 2025, she played an instrumental role in helping Elisa Longo Borghini to major victories at both the UAE Tour Women and the Giro d’Italia Women. Her ability to sacrifice personal ambition for team objectives has been a defining feature of her role, and her presence has helped UAE Team ADQ to secure some of their biggest successes to date.
Speaking about her decision, Persico highlighted the unity within the squad:
“I’ve certainly faced many difficult moments over the past seasons, but the team has always supported me. This year, a fantastic group was created, and I’ve felt really good working with them. The arrival of a great champion like Elisa Longo Borghini made something special, a beautiful bond between us that goes beyond cycling. For all these reasons, I’ve decided to continue my journey with this team, because I truly believe we can keep building something important together in the years to come.”
Persico’s ambitions remain clear. She wants to continue improving, not only to be an even more valuable support rider but also to add another significant victory to her career, which currently includes five wins. Her breakthrough came in 2022 with stage victories at the Vuelta España Femenina and the GP della Liberazione PINK, followed by her biggest one-day success at Brabantse Pijl in 2023.
UAE Team ADQ president Melissa Moncada emphasised Persico’s value to the project:
“Silvia Persico, with her commitment, dedication, positivity, and her great passion for this sport and for our team, is an essential part of our family. I strongly wanted her to remain with us because I believe our team will continue to need her spirit and her performances to grow and become even greater. From day one we believed in Silvia, and we will keep believing in her, confident that together we can achieve many more great results.”
