Greta Marturano extends UAE Team L’IMAD contract for 2027 after injury-hit two seasons

Greta Marturano will remain with UAE Team L’IMAD for the 2027 season after signing a one-year contract extension with the team.

The 28-year-old Italian joined the structure at the start of 2025 on an initial two-year deal and has combined support work with opportunities of her own during a period repeatedly interrupted by injury. Her biggest individual result came at the 2025 Vuelta a Extremadura Féminas, where she took the first UCI victory of her career, but Marturano has made clear that the stability she found within UAE Team L’IMAD has been just as important as the results.

The extension gives her another year in a familiar environment and, more importantly, another opportunity to put together the uninterrupted season that has been missing since she joined.

Marturano found the stability she was looking for at UAE

When Marturano originally signed for UAE Team ADQ ahead of 2025, she spoke about the appeal of the team’s collective approach and her desire to continue developing as both a climber and support rider.

Two seasons later, that relationship has become particularly important because her progress has not followed the straightforward route she would have wanted.

Marturano has dealt with serious injury setbacks during her time with the team, limiting the consistency of her programme and repeatedly forcing her to rebuild. Rather than making another change at the end of her existing contract, she decided that remaining within the same support structure offered the best chance of finally producing a full season.

“This team has given me the security and serenity that I had somewhat lost in recent years. I was unlucky to suffer some serious injuries during these two years, but I was also lucky to find people who were always there for me and helped me get back on my feet. I am very grateful for that.”

That sense of continuity appears central to the new agreement. Marturano believes she has continued progressing despite the interruptions and wants to see what another year in the same environment can produce.

“All these things are some of the reasons why I wanted to renew with the team. Another reason is the constant progress I have been making despite everything, and I would like to continue that growth next year as well.”

Vuelta a Extremadura delivered her first UCI victory

The clearest indication of Marturano’s individual ability came early in her first UAE season at the 2025 Vuelta a Extremadura Féminas.

After Ellen van Dijk dominated the opening time trial in Mérida, Marturano escaped with Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset during the afternoon road stage to Cáceres. The pair stayed clear of the peloton and Marturano won the sprint between them, a result covered in ProCyclingUK’s report from the opening day of the Vuelta a Extremadura.

It was Marturano’s first elite UCI victory. She went on to finish third overall, adding a stage-race result that fitted the profile she had described when joining UAE: strongest on difficult terrain, capable of climbing well and still carrying enough speed to finish from a reduced group.

Her ProCyclingUK rider profile also reflects the longer development behind that result. Before joining UAE she had already recorded strong performances at races including the Tour Féminin International des Pyrénées and Thüringen Ladies Tour, building a career around climbing and demanding stage races rather than one narrow speciality.

The team role has mattered beyond Marturano’s own results

Marturano’s value to UAE Team L’IMAD has not been measured entirely through her own finishing positions.

She has increasingly operated within a squad containing several established leaders, where climbing support, positioning and the ability to work deep into difficult races can be as valuable as an individual result. The team’s current depth is particularly visible around riders such as Elisa Longo Borghini, Mavi García and Maeva Squiban, with UAE increasingly able to approach major stage races with several different options.

That environment also appears to have helped Marturano through the more difficult periods away from racing. She highlighted the relationships within the group when explaining why she wanted to stay, recalling the training camp before the Giro as one of the strongest memories of her first two seasons.

“There have been many beautiful moments. One of the best was probably last year’s training camp ahead of the Giro. The atmosphere and the bond we created among the girls is definitely a memory I will always carry with me.”

She believes that connection carries directly into racing.

“The group is very important in our team and fortunately we are a good group both on and off the bike. I think that is one of our strengths.”

For a rider who has spent significant periods recovering rather than racing, remaining around a group she already trusts removes one more variable from the attempt to rebuild.

UAE believe there is still more to come

Team president Melissa Moncada said the extension reflected Marturano’s response to the difficult periods as much as anything she has achieved on the road.

“We are very happy that Greta has chosen to continue her journey with us. Over these two seasons, she has faced significant challenges, but she has always shown character, determination, and a desire to come back stronger.”

Moncada also highlighted Marturano’s commitment to her teammates, an important part of her role within a squad that has continued adding both leaders and experienced support riders for 2027.

“Her resilience and her commitment to the team and to her teammates have stood out throughout this period, and these are qualities we value greatly. Our goal is to continue providing her with the support and serenity she needs to fully express her qualities.”

The wider UAE Team L’IMAD roster is already taking shape for next season. Mavi García has extended her career with the team through 2027, while Lily Williams will arrive on a two-year deal and Pfeiffer Georgi has signed through 2029.

Marturano represents a different part of that roster construction. She is not a new leader being brought in to change the team’s hierarchy, but an existing rider whose support role, climbing ability and potential for her own results are considered worth retaining.

A complete season is the priority for 2027

There is no complicated objective attached to Marturano’s new deal. After two seasons disrupted by injuries, she wants the chance to race consistently enough to find out where her current level really sits.

“My goal for next season is to have a good season without the setbacks and injuries that have affected me too much, and to be able to show my true value.”

That makes 2027 less about identifying one target race and more about building continuity from the winter onwards. If Marturano can do that, the Vuelta a Extremadura victory already offers evidence that she can contribute more than support work when difficult terrain and race circumstances give her freedom.

For UAE Team L’IMAD, the extension is therefore partly about retaining a reliable teammate and partly about leaving open the possibility that there is still a stronger version of Marturano to emerge.

After two stop-start seasons, the next step is simply giving her enough uninterrupted racing to show it.