by Maghalie Rochette

I finished 29th at the World Cup in Overijse. Nothing happened to me, and I am seriously disappointed and sad. At this point, I have very little to say, so I'll use some songs to tell a short story.

High Hopes - Panic! At the Disco
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Shooting for the stars when I couldn't make a killing
Didn't have a dime but I always had a vision
Always had high, high hopes
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Didn't know how but I always had a feeling

It's true. Somehow, I always did have high hopes. That's why, after a pretty bad month of racing in December, I still believed I could salvage the season and do really well at the last World Cup and Worlds if I prepared at my very best until then.

A part of me wanted to write off this season and start focusing on the next one...but I still had this hope burning inside me that we could salvage this. For one last time, we rolled up our sleeves and drove the 14h down to Spain to ensure some quality training.

So last time you heard from me, we were heading to Spain, close to Girona, for a last full-gas-training-camp, in the hope of saving this very average season. When we arrived, I first had to take a few very easy days to recover from a busy Kerstperiod of racing, but after a few days, I finally felt ready. We did 2 big weeks of training and I felt like I was feeling better and better on the bike. That trip was as much refreshing for the soul as it was for the legs. Riding in the sun and spending time with my sister and her husband felt really nice after 4 months away from home. The camp had served its purpose. I felt ready and confident to race.

Euro CX trip 2020. Ep.12 : Last Chance Training Camp sur You Tube

After getting back to the Netherlands, we took some easy days on the bike to try recover from the camp and be ready for the World Cup in Overijse. I felt very ready, and very excited to race. I had not felt that kind of excitement and confidence towards racing in a long time.

Give it all - Rise Against

Rock bottom's where we live
And still we dig these trenches
To bury ourselves in them
Backs breaking under tension
I give it all
Now there's a reason why I sing (ride)
So give it all
And it's these reasons that belong to me

I was ready to give it all, and I feel like that's why I did. Which makes it all the more disappointing when the actual result is so bad compared to what I've been able to do many times in the past.

Euro CX Trip 2020, ep 13: Overijse World Cup sur You Tube

So here I am. Or should I say; here we are. Because I'm not alone on this journey. David is putting as much work, time, energy, and emotion into this pursuit as I am. So here we are. Disappointed, and quite honestly, a bit empty. this is me trying - Taylor Swift

I've been having a hard time adjusting I had the shiniest wheels, now they're rusting (not really, but metaphorically) I didn't know if you'd care if I came back

And maybe I don't quite know what to say
But I'm here in your doorway
I just wanted you to know
That this is me trying

And it's hard to be at a party
When I feel like an open wound

At least I'm trying

But there is one more races and we made it all the way here. It would be a shame to give up here. The sleeves can't be rolled up higher at this point, so we are taking off our damn shirt... and as Taylor said:

Pourin' out my heart to a stranger (to cyclocross)
But I didn't pour the whiskey

We didn't pour the Whiskey. We have not given up. We have one more shot at it at the World Championships this weekend, and at this point, we really have nothing to lose. After that, we'll go home and do a proper reset and it will be all eyes on next season. Because if there is one thing that this season brought, it is an immense dose of motivation to come back stronger next year.
Thanks for the support everyone!

Complete bike tune up
This week, to make sure we weren't "unlucky" at the last races, David rebuilt all the bikes with new parts. That was a way to ensure no equipment malfunction would happen during the races.

I documented David's process to show you how he prepares the bikes for a cyclocross race after a full season of use.

See how he:
• Changes the Bottom Brackets
• Replaces the headsets
• Replaces the chains
• Clean the derailleur pulleys
• Adjust the gears
• Changes and clean brake pads

Getting the mind ready
Before big races, I often try to do less work so I can give my mind the time to get excited for the race, to get ready, and to feel inspired.

In those moments, I enjoy watching other people perform. Wether it be racing from another discipline, past races where I performed well, or even musicians doing live performances, all those really get me inspired.

Watching a musician performing lives gives me so much emotion and I am always in awe of how impactful these artists can be when they simply perform their crafts really well.

It inspires me to want to do the same. To focus on performing the craft really well, and then, the result will come.

So on my list this week I have: A few "tiny desk concerts" videos, last year's Miss Americana documentary about Taylor Swift, and more. If you have suggestions, I'm all ears!

Next : Jan. 30th : World Championships, Ostend Belgium

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