The world cycling elite went through a minor revolution last year with the inaugural edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, which became the pivotal event of the season in no time flat. With the second edition just around the corner, six riders open up about their experience last July.
Garcia: “It’s beyond what we imagined”
The first edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift left a “bittersweet” feeling to Mavi Garcia. The Spanish number 1 was immediately transported by the event, which she approached with great ambitions after another double in her national championships (road race and time trial) and a 3rd place in the general classification of the Giro, where she competed with Annemiek van Vleuten and Marta Cavalli over the Italian summits. A series of incidents, including a collision with her team's car, left Garcia frustrated on French roads. The Spanish ace showed her tenacity to finish the event with the most aggressive rider award in the last stage, towards the Super Planche des Belles Filles, and 10th place in the general classification. At 39, she dreams of overcoming her initial disappointment and shining in the Pyrenees, where Spanish supporters are expected to accompany the last battles of the 2023 Tour.
Margarita Victoria García Cañellas (Liv Racing Teqfind)
Born in Marratxi (Spain) on 2 January 1984
Teams
- 2015-2017: Bizkaia Durango
- 2018-2019: Movistar
- 2020-2022: Alé BTC Ljubljana / UAE Team ADQ
- 2023: Liv Racing Teqfind
Major results
- 2016: Spanish champion, Vuelta a Burgos Feminas
- 2018: Spanish time trial champion, 2nd in the Tour cycliste féminin international de l'Ardèche
- 2019: 2nd in the Tour of Yorkshire, 5th in the WWT Emakumeen Bira
- 2020: Spanish champion (road race and time trial), 2nd in the Strade Bianche Donne and the Tour cycliste féminin international de l'Ardèche
- 2021: Spanish champion (road race and time trial), Giro dell'Emilia, 2nd in the Tour cycliste féminin international de l'Ardèche, 5th in the Flèche Wallonne Femmes
- 2022: Spanish champion (road race and time trial), Classic Lorient Agglomération - Trophée Ceratizit, 3rd in the Giro d'Italia Donne, 5th in the Flèche Wallonne Femmes
- 2023: 4th in the Flèche Wallonne Femmes
Signature trait: Before turning to endurance sports with her brother Luis, Mavi was a great hope of Spanish figure skating. She then tried duathlon, a discipline where she won a world champion title in 2016, when she was making her late debut in the professional cycling peloton.
What have you adapted in your preparation for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2023?
I want to do pretty much the same as last year. I am in Sierra Nevada to prepare for the second part of the season, with the Giro and the Tour, which are the most important races for me and for the team. I'm working on longer efforts, I've also worked on my position on the time trial bike for the Tour. Last year, I didn't know if I was going to be able to maintain a good shape, because I was already in very good condition on the Giro, where I finished 3rd. But I had excellent sensations during the Tour, until I had my accident with the team car [stage 4]. It complicated things, I was able to keep 10th place… I would have liked to do better. But I think the preparation was good. So I will stay at altitude until June 21, then I will go to Madrid for the Spanish championships and I will take on the Giro before the Tour.
And you still had good legs to win the Classic Lorient Agglomération - Trophée Ceratizit in August...
The day I crashed in the Tour, I was feeling really strong. And I think my victory in Brittany comes from there. I had this idea that I had not been able to do what I wanted. Normally, I'm not a person driven by rage, I'm not a rider who transcends herself with her emotions. But I went to Plouay with a specific idea in mind. I was telling myself, 'I have to win, I have to do something good after all these efforts.' And it happened like that.
“You have to be ready for anything”
So what do you tell yourself ahead of the next Tour?
[She laughs] I don't know. I focus on each day. Right now I'm working very hard, and then we'll see, I want to do my best. Sometimes it works fine, other times it doesn't. You have to be ready for anything. But it is certain that I am very focused on this goal and I would like to do well.
How did you experience the magnitude of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2022?
For me, the result was bittersweet. The Tour was something really special for all of us. We knew it would be something very big, that it wouldn't be like any other race, but once we got there, it was beyond what we imagined. From the first day, I was impressed: the start in front of the Eiffel Tower, all the media that were present... At all the races, there are more and more people, more and more repercussions, but the Tour had a very strong impact on us, at least for me and for the girls who were with me in the team. And personally, it was bittersweet, because it could have been great but the result was average. But in general, I was very happy to be part of history and to participate in this new women's Tour.
“All the best riders are there, and they are at their very best”
What sporting level did you find on the Tour?
Well, in all the World Tour races, there are a lot of girls with a very good level. But it must be said that on the Tour it reaches a point where absolutely all the best riders are there, and they are at their very best. I think all the girls want to get a good result on the Tour and that's a goal for all the teams, because of the exposure of this race. It's already a very important event, I think it's the most important in the women's calendar, and therefore the level is very high. And on top of that, the level increases every day, every year, in all races. There are more riders, more teams, more competition. All this leads to the development of women's cycling.
You had a distinct trajectory, making your professional debut at 31. Who are you as a rider?
Until not so long ago, it was difficult for me to define my skills precisely. I told myself that the longer climbs suited me well, but I hadn't had many opportunities to experience it, and I hadn't reached my best output on the shorter efforts either... Today , I think that one of my virtues is to have a lot of resistance. If a race is difficult from start to finish, that suits me better than a smoother day leading to an explosive finish. It's always better for me when there's attrition, hopefully I can have more strength left in the finale. I'm obviously not a sprinter but I improved my speed in small groups. Generally speaking, I prefer mountainous races, but with several climbs.
Then the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift has routes that should please you...
Yes, but still, the Tourmalet is a bit long and difficult for my taste! I'm a good rider, the mountain suits me well, but I'm quite tall. This type of climb suits girls who are small and skinny. But I'm going to give it my all and hope it goes well.
And you will be very close to the border. Are you waiting for this rendezvous with the Spanish public?
Yes for sure ! There are more and more people coming to the races. In Spain, we see more supporters and in May we had La Vuelta, which also wanted to have a bigger event like the Tour and other races. There were lots of people. It's always really cool when you're racing and you hear people shouting your name.
