Pauliena Rooijakkers will take time away from racing after UAE Team ADQ announced that the Dutch rider is pregnant. The team confirmed the news on 25th May, saying Rooijakkers will step into a new chapter of her life while pausing her racing programme. The 32-year-old joined UAE Team ADQ for 2026 after moving from Fenix-Deceuninck and had been expected to play an important role in the squad’s climbing and general classification ambitions this season.
Rooijakkers begins new chapter away from racing
UAE Team ADQ shared the update with a message of support for Rooijakkers, wishing her well as she steps away from competition.
“We are happy to announce our rider Pauliena Rooijakkers is pregnant and will take time to enjoy a new chapter of her life,” the team said. “We wish her the best in this beautiful journey.”
Rooijakkers also shared her own message alongside the announcement, making clear that she still sees more to come in cycling even while embracing the next stage of her life.
“Right now I want to fully enjoy this new chapter of my life, but I also feel that I still have more to give in cycling,” Rooijakkers said.
That wording leaves the door open for a future return, but for now the focus is firmly on pregnancy and time away from the demands of racing.
A key climbing rider for UAE Team ADQ
Rooijakkers’ absence will be felt by UAE Team ADQ because of the role she was likely to play across the harder races on the calendar. She has long been known as a strong climber and durable stage-race rider, capable of staying present deep into selective days and supporting leaders in the mountains.
Her move to UAE Team ADQ for 2026 gave the team another experienced climbing option, particularly for stage races where the squad has continued to build depth around its general classification ambitions. Rooijakkers brought proven WorldTour experience and a profile that fitted the team’s increasing focus on difficult terrain.
She has also been one of the most consistent Dutch climbers of recent seasons. Her best results have often come when races become attritional, with repeated climbs and hard finales rather than straightforward bunch finishes.
A career built around endurance and late-race strength
Rooijakkers has spent much of her career developing into a rider suited to the hardest parts of the calendar. She has been a strong performer in stage races and hilly one-day events, using endurance and climbing strength to remain competitive when the race becomes selective.
Her 2024 season was one of the strongest of her career, including 3rd overall at the Tour de France Femmes, where she confirmed her ability to compete across a full Grand Tour against the best climbers in the sport. That result reshaped her status in the peloton and made her a valuable signing for UAE Team ADQ.
The move to UAE Team ADQ was therefore not only about adding experience. It was about bringing in a rider who had shown she could be relevant deep into the biggest races, particularly as the depth of Women’s WorldTour climbing fields continues to rise.
Racing pause comes with longer-term perspective
Pregnancy announcements in professional cycling now sit within a changing landscape. More teams are becoming used to supporting riders through maternity, and the sport has gradually become more open about athletes combining elite careers with motherhood.
Rooijakkers’ statement reflects that wider shift. She is stepping away from racing for now, but not presenting this as the end of her cycling story. Instead, she has framed it as a new life chapter while making clear that her competitive drive remains.
For UAE Team ADQ, the immediate sporting consequence is the loss of a proven climber from their race plans. For Rooijakkers, the priority is now away from competition, with the team’s public message centred on support rather than timelines or return dates.
Rooijakkers has already built a career defined by persistence, climbing strength and steady progress. Her next chapter begins away from the peloton, but her own words suggest cycling may still have space for her again when the time is right.
