Maghalie Rochette’s plans to race cyclocross are back on track after a lengthy derailment that began six weeks ago. The two-time elite women’s Pan-American cyclocross champion returns to the start line Friday in an attempt to regain her title at the recently-revived Pan-American Cyclo-cross Championships in Falmouth, Massachusetts.
The start for a 12th cyclocross season hit more than just a bump on the course for the accomplished Canadian. A bout with COVID-19 in the summer caused Rochette to abandon plans to compete in mountain bike competitions. Then continued low energy levels led her to believe she was “just unfit”, but extreme fatigue raised a flag for extended rest after one cyclocross race in mid-September.
“I’ll be happy if I feel like I can push and fight for the whole race. Result wise, it’s hard to say,” Rochette told Cyclingnews about making her comeback a day ahead of the Pan Ams. “I feel like I’ve done so little training and that my fitness is far from ready, but at the same time I could surprise myself.
“I’m excited to go out there and really use all I’ve got. Even if I don’t have as many matches to burn as I normally do, I think that will push me to be really on top of things tactically and technically, and if I can do that, I think I can have a great race!”
Earlier in the week she confirmed on Instagram that, “I know my bike is ready. My mind is ready. Whoop says my health is ready. Let’s see where my body is at. Excited to be heading to Really Rad CX this weekend after more than a month away from racing.”
Really Rad Festival of Cyclocross, the final weekend of races for the four-event USCX, added a third day of racing to its schedule to accommodate the Pan-Ams. Only a month ago, the Continental Championships to crown the top ‘cross racers from 44 countries in Central, North and South America were cancelled by local organisers in Costa Rica when they lost access to the event venue and could not find a replacement.
After missing the 2021 Pan Ams due to a schedule conflict with her European racing campaign, Rochette is back on track to contest for the elite title she won in 2018 and 2019. She said she has only been training for the last two weeks, and even then not at the usual level.
“We’ve really focused on technique, short intensity, and recovery. I haven’t ridden more than two hours rides yet. I’m doing short sessions to make sure that I don’t completely drain my energy. By doing short…
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