YOUR CURIOSITY, MY ANSWER!

I would like to know what your typical lunch and dinner are like.

My diet varies depending on the training I have to do, both in terms of functional foods and quantities. So there is no real “typical meal,” but every day I vary my diet according to the hours and the work I have to do on the bike. An example of lunch might be: legume pasta, mixed vegetable and seed salad, a few crackers, chicken and a peach, while for dinner: vegetable soup with rice, salmon, grilled zucchini and eggplant, a slice of bread, and a pear.

Women’s cycling isn’t usually talked about much. In your opinion, what’s the best way to promote it more?

Unfortunately, too little attention is still paid to women’s cycling: you’re right about that, but great progress have been made in recent years and I believe that, little by little, we are on the right track. I think live television coverage of races has allowed us to take a big step forward, because now all our fans can follow us and the number of enthusiasts has grown even more precisely because, by being able to watch our races live, they experience great emotions. I hope that newspapers and sports magazines will devote more and more space to women’s cycling, because at the moment it is quite clear that we do not receive the same attention as our male colleagues: often only a few lines are dedicated to us on a page that talks about men’s cycling… but I am sure that something is changing and that in a short time we will have more and more space. In my own small way, with this blog, I try to talk about myself and women’s cycling to make us known to an ever-growing audience. I hope to be able to make my contribution!

How did you feel after your fall in the Tour de France? How did you recover mid-season and how did it affect you mentally? 

After the crash at the Tour de France, I was devastated. Fortunately, the physical consequences weren’t serious, but mentally it was difficult to accept having to withdraw from this race that I had been preparing for months and that was a big goal for me. I know that crashes are part of our sport, but for me they are the hardest thing to accept and overcome. That’s why I believe that the work I did with my psychologist was fundamental in helping me accept what had happened and look ahead. Fortunately, a short break was already planned after the Tour, so I was able to take a few weeks at home to recover and start preparing for the end of the season. After a crash, you can also be scared of getting back into the group. In this respect, I consider myself very lucky because I have teammates who are very skilled at riding their bikes and moving around in the group, so by staying on their wheel, I got over this fear pretty quickly.

What are your hobbies?

I love reading and I think it’s one of my greatest passions. I also really enjoy writing, which is why I decided to start this blog. I also like traveling, so every year my husband and I choose a different destination for our vacations.

How do you find motivation on days when you have to train but don’t feel like it? 

There are definitely days when I don’t want to get out of bed. Sometimes I snooze my alarm and allow myself a few extra minutes of sleep, but it’s my dreams that push me to get up and go out on my bike. Having big goals has always helped me get through tough times and pushes me to train every day. The idea of one day crossing the finish line of a spring classic with my arms raised or wearing the yellow jersey pushes me on to give my all, even when I don’t feel like it.

Will you be participating in the World Championships on the track in Chile?

No, I won’t be participating in the World Championships on the track this year. Last winter, I decided to dedicate 2025 solely to road racing, and I will end my season in China in mid-October. This does not mean that I will not return to the track. In fact, last week I participated in some competitions at the Aigle velodrome, both to reacquaint myself with that type of effort, which I believe is also useful on the road, and to have fun.

The hardest training session?

There are some really tough training sessions and I think it’s difficult to choose just one… but when I see 20/40 on my training schedule, I feel like crying!

Did you know that the unicorn is Scotland’s national animal?

Yes! I knew that because my press officer at Lidl-Trek is Scottish and once showed me that there’s a unicorn on her passport! You can imagine how jealous I was: I want a unicorn on my passport too!

Do you prefer racing with high-profile wheels or lighter low-profile wheels?

I usually race with wheels with a 51mm rim profile, which I find very comfortable because they are both aerodynamic and fairly light!

What is your specialty in the kitchen?

I’m not a great cook, but luckily my husband is the king of the kitchen at home! I really enjoy baking, but I can’t do it very often because I can’t resist the temptation and my dietitian isn’t very happy about it!

In about a month, you will find a story my Instagram profile with a box where you can ask me questions, giving you another chance to satisfy your curiosity! If you don’t have an Instagram profile and would like to ask me a question, you can write it in the comments below this article and you will receive an answer in the next episode of the column!