Maghalie Rochette had hoped to make the trip to Edmonton, Alberta, this week, where she would line up at the Canadian Road Championships on June 25 to battle reigning road race champion Maggie Coles-Lyster and past champion Alison Jackson for the distinctive maple leaf jersey.
The silver medalist in the road race in 2021, Rochette will miss this year’s championships and leave that box on her bucket list unchecked.
“I will not be racing road nationals this year, unfortunately. I still have not been back on the bike, as I’m still struggling with this back injury,” Rochette told Cyclingnews. “I have a few herniated discs and facet syndrome, and I need to get this sorted before getting back to training and then racing.”
Back pain was also her nemesis in Emporia, Kansas, as she was originally set to race Unbound Gravel 200. With pain in her back for the past four months not subsiding, she refocused on a start in the 100-miler, but then opted to just be a spectator upon arrival in the Flint Hills.
“Since February, my back’s been bothering me when I’m riding. But I wanted to get ready for this event. So I was kind of hoping that by doubling down on core exercises and yoga and stretching and massage and physio, all of that, that it would take care of itself, but it got worse,” Rochette told Cyclingnews while in Kansas.
“So eventually, I switched my registration, I said, ‘I’m gonna do 100 at least’, I’ll be part of the event. But then I did X-rays last week, and the doctors suggested that it would be better not to ride for now until we know exactly what it is. The pain is mostly when I’m riding.”
Following her trip to Kansas, the 30-year-old had an MRI and made the decision not to compete at Canadian Road Nationals. While off the bike, though, she has had time to study and rethink her summer plans.
“After attending Unbound, I have to say that I enjoyed the energy of the event. 200 miles is still a stretch for me, but I really enjoyed the camaraderie between the racers, and I think it looks like a tough challenge. I’ve done some gravel, but the smaller events, the ones that are close to home,” Rochette observed about Unbound Gravel, from the sidelines.
“I think it is too big of a demand on the body and doesn’t leave much room for other types of racing or fun adventures the rest of the year. But being at Unbound made me understand a little bit more the vibe and feeling of accomplishment of completing such a monster of a race, and it…
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