There was no doubt that the excitement levels were high for the return of last year's series winner Sammie Maxwell to the WHOOP UCI MTB World Series at Les Gets and, while it was a challenging start in the short-track (XCC), her performance in Sunday's cross-country Olympic (XCO) race made it clear that nine months away wasn't going to stand in the way of the young rider from New Zealand.
After her first highly successful season in the elite ranks, Maxwell decided to take some time away from the sport, returning with a win at the Swiss MTB World Cup in Lostorf last week before once again joining the top-tier series in France.
An initially strong run in the XCC ultimately ended in a DNF after a crash and a flat, which didn't help her start position in the subsequent XCO race, but even though last year's series winner began mid-field, she didn't stay there for long. Through the first couple of laps she had already worked her way into the top ten, before spending a considerable stretch riding with Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Premier Tech).
The Decathlon Ford rider then pushed up a couple more positions before the race was done, coming sixth in the race won by Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing). World champion Jenny Rissveds (Canyon XC Racing) was second while Maxwell's Decathlon Ford teammate Savilia Blank was third.
It was clear as the sobs shook through her exhausted form at the end of the race just how much being back meant to Maxwell, but the fans also made their feelings clear as the returning rider was voted rider of the round.
Maxwell, who has grappled with an eating disorder through her career, said on announcing her return that while she was "truly grateful to have had the chance to dedicate the past few months to myself," she had missed racing.
"I think this has been the hardest eight months of my life, but it is like a hard training session… the harder it is the more rewarding afterwards," said Maxwell in a pre-event WHOOP MTB Series interview, before explaining that a late-season comeback had its benefits.
"It's a chance for me to come over here for a shortened period of time, not a whole season, and see what challenges racing has and how I can implement what I have learned in this environment."
Just two rounds of the series remain, September 19-20 in Utah and then Lake Placid on October 2-4, but first is the Mountain Bike World Championships in Val di Sole, Italy from August 26-30. Maxwell will be lining up there with the New Zealand team.
Before the weekend, despite having confidence in her form, the rider wasn't quite sure how she would fare on her return to top-level racing.
"I actually am fitter than I was last year," said Maxwell. "What that translates to in racing, I think it's hard to say because again you have to get your head in the right space, you have to learn that race intensity which you can only get racing, but I'm doing my pre-race warm-ups, and I'm increasing all my power numbers by 10%."
Having some of that race intensity under the belt now, to complement that building form, means the rider who came second in the rainbow race last year will be closely watched this time as well despite her recent return. Still, regardless of the results through the rest of the season, Maxwell seems more than content with the progress she has made this year with the long game in mind.
"I feel like I've unlocked a secret key of just fueling my body and focusing a lot on strength and power and sustainability," said Maxwell before the return at Les Gets. "I feel like I can keep progressing, and if that takes a few years, that's cool, but I feel like I am really [on] track to having the resources I need to be the best that I can be."
