Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (AG Insurance-Soudal) hasn't raced since her early June crash at Volta a Catalunya Femenina, where she broke her T10 vertebrae, but now she'll be pinning a number on again.
After her injury, the target and key motivation was always focussed on a return for the key races in August – the 158km women's Olympic Games road race on Sunday August 4 and the eight stage Tour de France Femmes from August 12-18. It is a target Moolman Pasio has hit, with her name on the start list for South Africa in the Sunday August 4 road race that begins in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.
“Of course, it took a lot of discipline to find the right balance between training enough to be well-prepared and not training too much to delay the recovery," said Moolman Pasio in a media statement from her trade team AG Insurance-Soudal. "This meant that I had to focus completely on training and resting, which may have been a blessing in disguise.
"Fortunately, the recovery process went smoothly, and I didn’t have any setbacks, allowing me to make progress every day and week. Now, I am in a good position, training at altitude and doing the normal preparations that I would do.”
The experienced 38-year-old rider is lining up for her fourth Olympic Games in Paris as part of a two-person South African squad with 23-year-old Tiffany Keep. The Paris course with 1,700 metres of vertical ascent may not deliver the long climbs like she has excelled on in the past, like the Giro d'Italia's Monte Matajur and Monte Zoncolan, but the returning rider is out to make the most of her opportunities.
“The only thing missing this year is sufficient race rhythm, but I am mentally fully prepared," said Moolman Pasio. "Sometimes, it helps just to be grateful to be back at the start line, and that gives you the freedom to take risks and enjoy the process.”
Her results at this year's Ardennes Classics, with a punchy parcours similar to the Olympic route, were also a positive sign as Moolman Pasio came seventh at Amstel Gold Race and fifth at La Flèche Wallonne Femmes.
“This year, I have been able to race less for various reasons," said Moolman Pasio, who also got sick in the cold conditions of the Spring Classics and contracted a bacterial infection before her restart then was short-lived after the Volta crash. "Despite these obstacles, I had a very good off-season preparation, with smooth training and high motivation. This gave me a strong foundation and a lot of confidence, even when facing these challenges.”
Not that it was an easy path, with those continued obstacles, but the rider said she leaned on her experience and maturity as an athlete to help her make it through and stay positive and optimistic.
“Although there were moments when I doubted whether I would be able to participate in the upcoming races on my schedule, the prospect of racing gave me the motivation to persevere during my recovery," said Moolman Pasio. "I am very much looking forward to being back at the start line, enjoying every race, and giving my best.”
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