Despite 'all the noise', UAE Team IMAD's multi-leader strategy is working

Despite what Sports Director Cherie Pridham called "all the pressure and all the noise" surrounding some of her riders, UAE Team L'IMAD's much-discussed multi-leader strategy at the Tour de France Femmes is working, at least for now. This fact gives pause to those managing squads for the upcoming women's fantasy cycling stage races.

The team finished stage 6 with three riders in the top 10 of the general classification: Elisa Longo Borghini (fourth), Dominika Włodarczyk (sixth), and Paula Blasi (tenth), after Longo Borghini climbed two places thanks to an offensive push toward Tournon-sur-Rhône. Only one other team had more than one rider in the top 10, Canyon-SRAM with Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney and Antonia Niedermaier, a sign that, despite the media hype, things are going decidedly well for UAE.

Longo Borghini didn't win Thursday's stage, but he gained 28 seconds and two places in the overall standings with an active performance, confirming that the team plan developed throughout the week is bearing fruit. "We knew it would be another tough day. We know we have to continue to take advantage of every opportunity we see," Pridham told Cyclingnews at the finish line.

"Obviously, the result didn't go the way we wanted. The riders used some strange tactics that perhaps didn't help much, or could have made better use of the time, but Elisa gained a few seconds. The podium is still a long way off, but tomorrow is a whole different story."

With Longo Borghini now fourth in the overall standings, and three tough stages still to go, including that different "flat" Mont Ventoux on Friday, a podium spot is certainly within reach, and Pridham seems confident that fourth place or better can become the team's goal.

"We have to be realistic. Kasia and Demi are simply incredibly strong this year, as is the yellow jersey Reusser. We'll do everything we can as a team. The team is strong. Considering all the pressure and all the noise surrounding our young rider Paula Blasi, I think the girls are handling it really well," she added.

On the road, the results speak for themselves, and the riders were able to handle the situation well, undaunted by their public defense against speculation about alleged tensions within the group.

Rumors surrounding the future of Blasi, the Vuelta winner who is expected to leave the team, had further fueled speculation, with many wondering why UAE would entrust the leadership to an outgoing rider, even though many fans and commentators are enthusiastic about the future of the young revelation.

Why Having Multiple Leaders Works

The frustration with how the media narrative has spread has certainly been amplified by the fact that, so far, things have gone well on the road. One of the main reasons is that, beyond the three riders in the spotlight, the teammates working for them are extremely strong. Arguably the deepest squad in the race, with former stage winners like Mavi Garcia and Maeva Squiban, as well as the ever-solid Silvia Persico.

It's precisely the work of these riders, often in sections of the stage we don't see on TV, that allows the team to have three remaining protagonists in the finale. While other teams might have to expend more of their own energy to prepare their leader for the finale, UAE seems to be able to count on only two or three riders for that initial work, leaving more ammunition in the group of favorites for the finale. A detail for fantasy cyclists to be careful about: UAE's domestiques deserve more consideration than usual when choosing their lineup for the mountain stages.

Pridham explained in part how this work unfolds, with key points and protections perhaps not where you'd expect. "It's about keeping the girls well-positioned. Mavi, and to some extent Paula, keeps Dominika and Elisa safe in the wheels, especially on the descents," he explained.

"On climbs like this one [on stage 6], you can see that huge gaps can form [on the descent]. It's very important to give them that information so they can be in a good position on the descents, because on the climbs, they can hold off anyone."

How to get to the podium?

The question is: what will UAE Team L'IMAD be looking for in the coming days? Longo Borghini, Włodarczyk, and Blasi would certainly like to maintain their top-10 finishes, but is that compatible with trying to get one of them onto the podium? And is a podium with just one rider worth more than three riders between fourth and tenth place?

For a team that doesn't have to worry too much about UCI points, third place would certainly be preferable, but it's not always easy to convince the other riders to give up their top-10 finish for that goal. This tactical dilemma makes UAE Team L'IMAD one of the most interesting teams to follow for fantasy cycling fans, as every stage can reshape the internal balance of power.

Perhaps UAE's good fortune is that Friday's stage to Mont Ventoux seems destined to shake things up all by itself, without the team necessarily having to make a decision. Whoever emerges strongest on the Peeled Mountain will reap the resulting benefits in the general classification.

“You have to look at the heat, and the start of the stage is also not easy, so we need to make sure we are in a good position as always from the start, and the approach to Chalet Reynard will be really important,” Pridham said of the team’s approach to stage 7.

"We might have to use some guns before that point, maybe with Mavi, if Persico is still there, and Maëva. I think we'll have to evaluate tonight, maybe send a satellite rider in the breakaway."

Asked whether the climb could be a terrain where teammates can make the difference, or rather a climb where everyone races for themselves, Pridham agreed with the latter hypothesis.

"In a certain sense, yes. I think we'll be down to maybe 10 riders by the time the showdown comes," he said. "From the bottom to Chalet Reynard, it's already incredibly tough, and then you hit the open lunar landscape of Mont Ventoux. We'll also have to evaluate the wind; I think it will play a huge role tomorrow."

Anyone expecting the UAE to issue a leadership statement or announce their strategy before the weekend will be disappointed. Their plan is, and always has been, to "let the streets speak for themselves," as they often say, proceeding step by step rather than dictating a plan in advance. And this reactive approach could last until the end.

"We're not stopping until we get to Nice. There's still a lot to gain. Stage 8 may seem flat, and it is, but the last 20km are exciting," Pridham said, noting how the general classification riders have been involved practically every day so far.

"We're taking it step by step. We've always said kilometer by kilometer, meter by meter, and we're sticking to this philosophy." For those who manage fantasy cycling teams, the message is clear: UAE Team L'IMAD remains a goldmine of unpredictable opportunities right up until the finish in Nice, and every rider in the squad deserves attention stage after stage.