Canyon-Slam strengthened its Classics team with the new acquisition of Soraya Paladin, who is aiming for three Ardennes Classics in 2022.

"I like hard courses and hard racing," said this powerful Italian rider.

"My big goal is the Ardennes Classics. We have a strong team, so my big goal is to get a lot of cards in the finals. Paladin told Cycling News, "If we can be a few strong teams in the finals and we all help each other and have a chance to win as a team, I think we can do big things."

Canyon-SRAM is a team that includes newcomers Pauliena Royjackers, Soraya Paladin, Shari Bossuite, and Paladin, as well as returning Chloe Dygert, Elise Shaby, Tiffany Cromwell, and Kasia Niewiadoma, who are all in the Classic campaign will begin.

"Last year I was up front by myself and sometimes it was difficult to compete. This year I think it will be different and fun to race with a team," Paladin said.

"When Canyon-SRAM asked me to sign on, I thought it was a well-organized team. If I wanted to take the next step in my career, I needed to find a team that would teach me how to win races and help me grow as a rider.

She joins the team from Liv Racing, which last year finished fifth in the Trofeo Alfredo Binda and Amstel Gold Race and seventh in La Course.

"I can handle short climbs, maybe 5 km at the most. I prefer hard courses and hard races, like the Trofeo Alfredo Binda or the Ardennes Classics. I miss the big sprints, but I'm working on that," Paladin said.

Paladin cites similar strengths to teammate Niwi Adoma in powerful one-day races and looks forward to having two cards to play on punchy terrain.

"We are fun to work with," he said. Last year we had a couple of hard races where it was just the two of us. This year, the goal is for the two of us to work together. When we are together, we can talk, we know who is in shape, and depending on the race, we can decide if we want to sprint or not. It's a compliment to be similar riders on a team.

She will also compete in the Giro d'Italia Donne, July 1-10, where she will be aiming for a stage win rather than GC. She hopes that with the return of the Tour de France Femme (July 24-31), her home race will move to May on the calendar.

"If you really want to go for GC, you have to choose between the Giro or the Tour. It's nice to have those two big races and I'm ready for that and can do both. There are days in between so I can recover well. It's a great opportunity for women's cycling," Paladin said.

"Yes, the dream would be to have the Giro at the same time as the men's race. It would be nice to at least have the Giro and we need to prepare this way. In the future, it would be nice to have the race in May."