Ally Wollaston back in the saddle

Ally Wollaston, who has been part of the AG Insurance - Soudal cycling team since 2021, shares her story about her injury, recovery, and return to competition.

The injury I picked up in February was a tear in the cartilage under my kneecap, which caused a lot of irritation and pain, both on and off the bike. Unfortunately, the only way to relieve the pain within a reasonable timeframe was surgery, which took place at the end of March. Fortunately, it was only keyhole surgery, so not too invasive, and my rehabilitation has been very smooth since. I was lucky to have a great support system around me and top medical advice.

I have been training seriously again for a few weeks now and have spent the past month at high altitude in Andorra, where I live. My body has responded very well so far. I feel motivated and grateful to be back on my bike.

Despite the disrupted start to my season, preparations for the Olympic Games are going smoothly. It certainly wasn’t part of my plan to be off the bike for six weeks, but I hope this break has kept me fresh and might even work in my favor later in the season. In June, I will join the New Zealand team for our first camp.

My first race with AG Insurance – Soudal after my injury was the RideLondon Classique, which took place at the end of May. I had a great time racing there last year and always look forward to competing there. Seeing the team again after a long period is always enjoyable. I haven’t raced since the Tour Down Under, so it’s an understatement to say that I missed racing.

In the coming months, I have a busy schedule with the RideLondon Classique, Westhoek, Volta Catalunya, followed by a track training camp and a race in Belgium.

I couldn’t be more excited to be racing with the team again, and I am very grateful for their support during this challenging period. I hope to make up for lost time in the coming months and look forward to the upcoming races.