Reflecting on Winnipeg, Maghalie Rochette is taking the lessons of The Forks to Cincinnati Cyclocross

As she prepares for CincyCX on Oct. 31 in Cincinnati, Ohio, one of the most prestigious cyclocross events on the American competitive calendar, it helps that LUNA Pro Cycling’s Maghalie Rochette feels no regrets about her last major race — the Winnipeg cyclocross nationals, where she was denied a spot on the podium in a last-minute squeaker of a finish.

Of course, bouncing back the next day at the Manitoba Grand Prix, where she all but blew away the field with her first-ever win at a UCI-level competition, definitely helped.

“I feel really good when I think about last weekend in Winnipeg,” Rochette said, chatting with Canadian Cycling Magazine. “Of course, I wanted to win nationals and I finished fifth, so that was a disappointment. However, looking back, I still feel good about that race. I know there is nothing else I could’ve done on that day; I gave all I had and the others were stronger!” When all was done and dusted, it was impossible to deny that Rochette was one of Winnipeg’s top riders. Going from that fifth-place finish on Saturday to a powerful, decisive win on Sunday, she found her fuel tank going into Cincinnati suddenly full, her engines primed and ready.

“This is something I am very happy about!” the 22-year-old Quebec-based cyclist effused, charmingly humble about her strong Grand Prix finish. “I definitely learned a lot from that weekend.”

Heading to cincy3cx this morning and I’m hoping I can remember all the tricks and sweet lines… https://t.co/hxI4JLqGSU

— Maghalie Rochette (@MaghalieCX) October 30, 2015

The lessons she took from the experience were well-timed, no doubt, but Maghalie Rochette is no stranger to the CincyCX course either, having started at 2014’s competition. “It was awesome,” she said, looking back. “Last year, there were three days of racing and each race was at a different park. Friday was a mud-fest and an awesome race for me as I placed second after riding with my teammate Katerina [Nash], who took the win. I always learn a lot from her, so it was great.” That Friday ride was followed by a nighttime competition on Saturday, and on Sunday, the Pan American CX championship kicked off. Winning the U23 title, she spent the rest of the day cheering on her older teammates, perhaps letting those various lessons sink in.

“I didn’t feel extremely good physically [in Winnipeg],” Rochette offered, reflecting on it all, “but I reacted to that in two very different ways on both days.” On Saturday, she said, her approach was to power through what was ailing her — literally. Holding nothing back, she aggressively hit the course at The Forks with everything she had, riding as hard as possible for as long as possible. That, however, didn’t work out. Her reserves drained, the podium shot she was aiming for was denied at the last moment.

The next day, she said, a realignment of focus set in. “On Sunday, I accepted the fact that I wasn’t feeling great and I was a lot smarter about it,” she said. “I was focusing on riding well technically and I was being conservative, so when it was time to go and make a move, I was able to.”

What she learned at The Forks this year will serve her well in Cincinnati, no doubt, when a tough, international field of competitors rolls out. Rochette is under no illusions about that, either, fully expecting a deep, aggressive field of competitors from the ‘cross scenes of the United States and Canada. As such, having learned the golden lesson about winning by saving energy for when it’s needed was a timely one, she suggests — notably because the tempo of CincyCX competition will likely test that strategy even harder.

Rochette isn’t concerned, though.

“To me,” she told Canadian Cycling Magazine, “that’s actually a very good thing. A big and deep field means that the race will be hard, but it is always fun to have an opportunity to race against the best. It’s a good opportunity to measure yourself and to learn and improve.” Still, the impressive roster of cyclocrossers taking to the CincyCX course this weekend, she says, doesn’t faze the young rider. A race is a race, she suggests, and it’s hard no matter who — or even what kind of terrain — is involved.

“It doesn’t stress me any more than any other field I am racing against,” she added. As a consequence, she doesn’t have any particular cyclists targeted, and there’s nobody whose challenge as a competitor rings alarm bells for her. “I think there are about ten women who could win, and that’s great!” she said, infectiously enthusiastic.

“The only one I’ll really keep an eye on will be my teammate Georgia [Gould], but only in the hope to help each other out.”

Instead, what Rochette has in her crosshairs are the details of the course in Cincinnati, another consideration that underscores the possibility of a hard, challenging ride — the single most important thing about a ‘cross race, to hear the skilled Quebec cyclist describe her priorities. “I love when there is a big, hard run up,” she said. “I love when there is a very technical and challenging descent and you know your ‘cross bike is not the ideal ‘cross bike for that kind of descent — that’s the best!” For Rochette, muddy, slippery courses and technically difficult sand pits are potential obstacles she looks forward to in equal measure, simply because of the all-or-nothing challenge they present. “Even if I sometimes get my butt kicked in these conditions,” she said, “I love it because you can challenge yourself and it is really fun no matter how you do.”

Like other ‘cross riders, though, a key aspect of competition that keeps her coming back to the ‘cross saddle is the vibrant, enthusiastic following that the discipline enjoys in North America, not just its athletic challenge. She calls it “CXfever,” and as she prepares to race on American soil, it’s something she’s noticed among both U.S. and Canadian cyclocross fans alike. “I believe that CXfever has spread across Canada in the past two years,” she said, citing the passionate dedication of fans to the growing ‘cross scene in this country.

It’s similar in the United States, she acknowledged, but there are unmistakable differences.

“In my opinion, the biggest difference,” she said, “is that the sport has been around and more popular for much longer in the U.S. than in Canada. This means that more people are racing or involved in the sport. They have more races, a bigger structure. In my opinion, Canada has the potential to become a great cyclocross scene, too. We just need a bit more time to create something like this.” Big recent steps have set Canada firmly on a course towards that eventuality, though, including the the establishment of Cycling Canada’s new cyclocross commission. That commission, she adds, is something “which I feel very fortunate to have joined since last weekend,” Rochette said.

Maghalie Rochette, it goes without saying, is parlaying her enthusiasm, experience, patient discipline, and raw, powerhouse talent in the saddle into becoming one of the top Canadian contenders in cyclocross competition. But with that characteristic humility, she readily recognizes what’s propelled her the enviable place she already occupies.

“I’d like to thank the LUNA Pro team for their continuous support!” she said.