Back Stronger: Ashleigh Moolman Pasio’s Return

AG Insurance – Soudal rider Ashleigh Moolman Pasio will resume her racing calendar starting this month. This marks Ashleigh's comeback after her crash in the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya in early June, where she sustained a vertebral fracture.

“The preparations for the races still on my schedule have been very different from previous years. This year, I have been able to race less for various reasons. 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.”

“My spring went reasonably well, although I didn’t achieve the results I wanted. I was more focused on preparing for the Tour de France. Unfortunately, the trouble began when I got sick during the cold conditions of the spring classics and contracted a bacterial infection, causing me to miss several races. After recovering, I was able to train well and felt strong again, but then I broke my T10 vertebra in June.”

“It was a very demanding year in that regard, but I am grateful for my many years of experience and maturity as an athlete. This has helped me to tackle these challenges in a good way. I always try to stay positive and optimistic and make the best of every situation. After about eight days of complete rest, I was able to start training again. Although it was a strange injury, it didn’t affect my daily life and my legs much, as long as I wore a back brace and took good care of myself.”

“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. 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 only thing missing this year is sufficient race rhythm, but I am mentally fully prepared. 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.”

“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. I am very much looking forward to being back at the start line, enjoying every race, and giving my best.”