by Maghalie Rochette
I've travelled to many places with one of my friends who l lives in Switzerland, and every places I found beautiful, she would always with something like this: "Yes, it is great! But I prefer Switzerland..." "What?!" was always my reaction. But I get it now, she was right... We have only spent a few days in Switzerland, and it might already be my new favorite country! We did 2 road rides before the race and this allowed us to discover new parts of the area. As we were riding through villages, the soundtrack was one of cowbells ringing slowly to the rhythm of the dairy cows moving around the grassy hills. The smell, well, I already said there were many cows, so I leave it to you to imagine! However, the air is fresh here, and when you leave the farm lands, it smells great! If I hadn't come here for a race, I would have ridden my bike all day long, because the small roads are quiet and never too steep. Just the perfect grade. But we did come for a race, so enough about tourist stuff!
Okay, now let's talk about the race...
Coming here, I wasn't sure about my fitness. I got sick a lot in the past month (way more than I ever have) and I kept catching one thing after another. So I did not train as much as I am used to, and that was a bit stressful for me. Many times, though, as I rested, David reminded me that health was the priority and that I should trust my fitness. I rested a lot, but we still managed a few key training sessions in the past 10 days, which gave me more confidence. Regardless, I was excited and hungry to race in Switzerland this weekend.
The race went like this:
. Great start!
. First corner (heading into gravel path): "SHITT! I had forgotten how agressive you need to be here!" Lost 15 spots.
. "Okay, now I will be agressive."
. Pedal hard. Do a lot of passes...sometimes sketchy ones. (My favorite parts were the little bunny hop sections where I could usually pass a few people.) Moving up every lap.
. See group of Sanne Cant (4th-6th). Catch up to them.
. Sit on their wheels 2 secs, then think: "If I caught up, it means I was going faster..."
. Attack them.
. They take my wheel. "Okay, maybe that wasn't smart...stay confident"
. Make a mistake. They pass me. I'm sitting 6th.
. Try to bridge up to them, but I'm going as fast as I can. I finish 6th. Happy with that!
In the end, I felt way better than I expected and I had a lot of fun during the race. I'm really happy we decided to come to Switzerland.
To finish this trip properly, tonight, dad, David, and myself are going to a traditional Swiss restaurant. I really, really love cheese, so I'm excited to try a true Swiss Cheese Fondue!
Tomorrow, we will jump on the plane back to Canada and will try to enjoy those 7hours in the plane to digest all the cheese we ate.
Cheese everyone! ...I mean, cheers! I apologize, that was a pretty cheesy joke...
Ok that's enough.
MECHANIC'S TIP
You have to be comfortable!
I think I've told you before that David is not only a mechanic, but also a coach. One of the things he always mentions to people he works with is that the single most important thing when starting cycling is to be comfortable, because that will make every ride enjoyable.
One thing to think about when talking comfort is the point of contacts: Saddle, Bib shorts, shoes, and helmet.
All these things are important but let's talk saddle today! This year, I switched to the S-Works Power saddle and I've never been as comfortable on a saddle. I have zero pressure on the ladies parts, and the shape of the saddle allows me to shift my pelvis backwards, which I feel gives me so much more power.
No saddle sore and super comfy!
So here is my tip: Find a saddle that you like and don't be afraid to try a few before you settle on one. It will make each ride so much better!
CHEESE! CHEESE! CHEESE!
When travelling for races, as much as possible, I try to experience the culture of a place. Personally, I think food is a great way to do that, because I love eating. So here's a little history about the cheese in Switzerland...
The reason why they produce so many cheeses in Switzerland is because of the topography of the country. There are many hills and mountains around here, which makes it harder for traditional agriculture, but great for raising cattle (or goats, or sheeps) on the grassy hills. I've read that most cheese makers still boil the milk in big traditional copper cauldron, over wood fire.
One of my favorite cheese from Switzerland is called Tête de Moine. You should try it ;) If you like somehting a bit stronger the Apenzeller is a great one too...and of course, the popular Gruyère is always a treat for me!
Anyway... I bought a book for cheeses around the world, so I may annoy you with cheese facts about other countries later on in the season! ;)
Maghalie
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Quel beau weekend en Suisse! Je n'avais jamais visité le pays avant, mais c'est maintenant un de mes endroits favoris!
La course s'est bien passé pour moi. Au premier virage, je me suis rapidement souvenu à quel point il faut être agressive dans les Coupes du Monde européennes...j'ai perdu 15 places instantanément! J'ai aussitôt ajusté le tir, j'ai sorti les coudes et je me suis mise en mode rattrapage. Au final, j'étais bien contente de la course et de terminer 6e!
On a terminé le weekend avec une fondue au fromage typiquement Suisse... on ne pouvait pas passer à côté de ça!
»
Maghalie Rochette, sur facebook, le 22 octobre
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