Change - New Cycling Team

Change is hard. But it can also bring new and exciting opportunities that will allow you to grow.

After being on the CLIF Pro Team for 5 years, I have decided to leave the team to start my own cyclocross project; CX Fever Racing Team Powered by Specialized.  

A part of me is super excited about this opportunity, while another part of me is sad about leaving the team.

It’s no secret; I love the CLIF Pro Team. I love everyone on this team, I love the structure, I love the sponsors, and the 5 years I spent on this team were the best of my life. 

Quite frankly, I feel like I’ve grown up with this team. I got on the team when I was a 19 years old girl who had raced mountain bikes for 1 season and who didn’t speak very good English. I’m now a 25 years old woman, I’ve been teammate with some of the best cyclists in the world (who also happen to be very cool and mature woman who taught me much about life), we’ve raced MTB and CX all over the world, and my English is still not awesome, but it is much better.

We’ve had euphoric and devastating moments together, and all these moments brought us closer. I was always proud to call these people my teammates, but 5 years later, I’m even prouder to call them my friends.

I owe everyone involved in the CLIF Pro Team an enormous thank you, from the very bottom of my heart. It's been an incredible ride! 

New Team

You may be wondering, "why change team if you loved your team so much?" 

Fair question. 

The simple answer is that I have the cyclocross fever and it became too big to contain. 

I invite you to read the text below to know more about my decision and about the people & companies who are part of this new journey. 

The chickens seem to love the bike just as much as I do! 

I'm excited to share the Fever with you at these events in the next month! 

SEPTEMBER

8-9 - Rochester CX, NY USA 
19 - Cross Reno, Reno USA
21-23 - World Cup #1/Trek Cup -Wisconsin
28-30 - World Cup #2/Jingle Cross, Iowa

Thanks for the support :) 

- Maghalie 

Virus 1 , Maghalie 0.

I am always juggling with this idea: Why would anyone care about how my races are going? Why would anyone, outside of my close circle of friends, team, and family, would need to know about how I felt in a race? 

That's why sometimes I just step away from social media, or from writing blogs, for a little while. Don't get me wrong, I care deeply about it, but I just can't wrap my head around the fact that other people would care about these things that I do... It just seems too egocentric to believe that someone else would be so interested in my life. 

I've also been busy recently, so writing a blog wasn't at the top of my priorities. David and I bought our first house and we've been working on it a lot, which has been super fun. Other than that, we've been training a bunch and I've been enjoying that time on the bike. The riding close to our new house is simply amazing. 

Anyway, this morning, I decided to break my blog writing drought, because this weekend I learned a lesson - or strongly solidified a belief I already had - that I think can also benefit other people: Health is the number 1 priority. 

David always says it, and I live by that principle a lot, but sometimes, like yesterday, you get a reminder of just how important health really is. In races, I typically like the climbs. I look at them from the bottom and I get excited to get up it as fast as I can (...so I can get to the downhill quicker!). I usually don't even think about how much - or even if - it hurts. Yesterday, however, during the Horseshoe Canada Cup, as my back, my arms, my neck, my stomach and my legs were screaming, I seriously wondered, more than once, if I'd actually be able to make it up the hill. 

If I'm honest, I was frustrated about that situation for a little bit. "I had some of my best ever workouts last week. Why the hell am I feeling so weak today?!". Baboune La Vieille Poune (my very negative little voice) even made an appearance for a few minutes, after months of not hearing about her. I wanted to give up. Luckily, it didn't take long for me to remind myself that I should just suck it up, and do my best. Because realistically, what else was I going to do? Quitting would make my situation even worse, plus we came all he way here, Scotty and I, and I have this opportunity to get over my struggles and get a good workout, so might as well do that.

"Scotty could have stayed home with his girlfriend, but now he's here with you giving you drinks, so suck it up Maghs!" I told myself.

So I looked up, stayed calm, focused on the obstacles in front of me and turned the pedals one stroke at the time until I crossed the line. It wasn't pretty and I threw up a little bit on 2 of the 5 laps, but at least I got it done. 

Back to that lesson: health is the number 1 priority. On Thursday, I got a little bit sick, which had me spend more time than I would have liked on the toilet. I felt like I had lower energy than usual on Friday, but I felt like I was getting better. I kept it easy in training. By Saturday, I felt good enough. My Heart Rate was higher than usual, but I thought I was okay and ready to race. Honestly, I was really looking forward to a hard and solid battle during the race, so I put aside any small stomach inconfort, or any doubt that I could still be affected by the small "virus" I had a couple days ago. 

What I realized is that, you can feel decent for day to day activities when you are not at 100%. But, when you try to use your body at its maximum capacity, as we do in training or in a race, a few percents can make a huge difference. If I had a more "normal" job, I could have performed well with that little stomach bug. However, the reality of our sport is that you need every ounce of energy you have to perform well and do a good job.

It's very interesting having power meters (we use ROTOR) to be able to gather data from all the races. Yesterday, my power was about 40W below what I normally average in races, while my HR was about the same. So it's not that I wasn't trying, my body just couldn't push past a certain level. It was limited. In a sense, it is comforting to see that data because it reinforces what I was feeling. I did not just FEEL weak, I really was a lot weaker.

Most importantly though, it reinforces the fact that health should be our number 1 priority as athletes. So as much as I would like to go train hard today and tomorrow, I know wha I need to do now is to rest and get healthy. Yesterday was a very good reminder that you can be as fit and as lean as ever, but if you are not 100% healthy, you won't go anywhere...maybe not even to the top of that next hill!  

Maghs

P.S Big thanks to Jamie from Revolution Cycle for the bottle hand ups at the top feedzone :) 

No matter how the race goes, it's always fun to hang out with the MTB community!

Scott was awesome this weekend, as usual! Putting on some fresh rubber before the pre-ride. Aspen Maxxis Tires were my choice for the Horseshoe Course.

Scott cleaning my brake pistons. For a step by step of how to do that, istead of just changing your brake pads, check out our team Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/BjzvxDxBqGf/?taken-by=clifproteam

Using this rest day to cook and relax at home. Strawberry rhubarb jam in the making :) 

Dave and I got some chickens!! Rest days are also made for looking at chickens and taking pictures of them :) They are so funny!

Mother's day Gift Guide

We all know moms are the best...there is no secret here! 

At 3 years old, mom was nervous when I ditched the little wheels and jumped on my 2 wheels bike for the first time. She ran by my side as I took a few strides and she was proud when I succeeded.
At 8 years old, mom was the one taking me to soccer, ski, swim, triathlon, or dance practice every day. 
At 10, she was the one dressing up my wounds when I crashed and taking me to the hospital for X-rays. 
At 14, mom was there to encourage me to go to swim practice at 6AM on the few morning when I was tired and didn't want to wake up. She was also driving me to practice and would dry my towel so I'd have a dry towel for the next day's workout. Mom was also making sure I did my homework.
At  16, mom was there to make me feel better when I would come home crying from a bad race. She was also making sure I'd wear sunscreen on long runs, and I would brush her off like a proper teenager. "Okay mom..."
At 20, my mom encouraged me to follow my dream and signed for a professional cycling team, even if that meant I would take less classes in school.
At 25, mom is still nervous for my races and she loves coming to see me compete. She helped me buy a house while I was aways racing, and she always listens to me when I come home crying or when I need advice. 

Moms are the best and I think they should be celebrated all year long, not just on Mothers day. They are our number 1 supporters and are always there for us no matter what.  A mother to daughter relationship is very special and we want to highlight how amazing our moms are!

Being an all women's team, we prepared this little gift guide with some of our favorite products from this season. We hope your mom will enjoy them as much as we (and our moms) do! 

Happy Mothers day, and thank you for being so fabulous!

Here's the CLIF Pro Team suggestions for Mothers Day : 

• Krimson Klover shirt, from Eva: 

Eva loves the whole Krimson Klover collection, because each piece is unique and stylish. The clothes are cute, bright and colorful, just like Eva's personality!

"I love this shirt. It is perfect for a spring or summer night! Very light and comfortable." - Eva 

Eva looking cute in her Harbor Long Sleeve sweater. 

Eva, Hannah and Haley posing in their respective Krimson Klover outfits! 

• CamelBak Hot Cap, from Haley: 

"The Camelbak Hot Cap is the perfect insulated mug for anything from a quick run to a coffee shop to an epic outdoor adventure with family. Every time I refill my bottle, I feel like I am doing my part in just a little way to help the environment and that's something my mom and I have always enjoyed working on together. I've been really impressed by how functional the Hot Cap bottle is and bring it everywhere I go!" - Haley Batten, aka Lil' Spice

Haley celebrating with her mom and number 1 fan after a successful race in Fontana.

• All Good sunscreen, from Marla: 

"Because old ex-racer moms like us really need extra sunblock!" - Marla Streb, ex-downhill goddess and mom of 2.

• Krimson Klover sweater, from Marla: 

"As a mom, I'd love to receive a wearable yet actually chic sweater from Krimson Klover that might bring me into this century!" - Marla

Haley wearing her Krimson Klover sweater on a chilly evening on the beach in California

• Garmin VivoActive 3 Watch, from Hannah: 

  "I love my new Garmin Vivoactive 3 because it has all the features I want as an athlete and a female. It tells me everything I need to know about how hard I just shredded the gnar, but it's also sleek enough that I can put on a dress and still wear it to dinner or a conference!" - Hannah 

Hannah and her biggest supporter after the race in Bonelli! 

• Zinfandel Wine from the CLIF Family Winery , from Katerina

"I’m a big fan of Zin. To me Zin is very quaffable. You can sip it alone or enjoy it with a meal. What makes this Clif wine special is where it comes from. I’m familiar with the Howell Mountain. I have seen the vineyard and I walked around. Those grapes are growing in a beautiful area and turn into tasty wine.Your mom will certainly enjoy slowing down and enjoying this wonderful wine" - Katerina 

• CLIF Family Artisan Food, from Maghalie: 

"I love good food and I love sharing good food even more! We all know CLIF makes delicious bars, but did you know they also make a wide variety of other food products? Some of my personal favorites are the olive oil, the chocolate covered almonds and some of their fruit preserve. The best is that they are all organically grown and handmade on the CLIF property in Napa Valley. A little package with a few of these products always make a really nice gift! Especially if your mom is a foodie! I know I'd love receiving that if I was a mom haha!" - Maghalie 

Pictured above: Smoked "Spanish Pimento" Almonds, "Kit's Killer Cab" Cabernet Wine, Olive Oil, Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Almonds, and Meyer Lemon Preserve. 

Here's a picture of the property where the Olives and many of the fruits for the preserve are being grown. 

• Rivette Gloves, from Maghalie: 

"I never ride without gloves, because it's only when you crash on your hands that you realize how much you use your hands! Moms do even more with their hands, so they need to be protected! " - Maghalie

We received those gloves this year and I LOVE them! They were made in women's size this year, so the fit is great. They are light and comfortable which makes them perfect for warm days on the bike or for a cooler spring day.

• Wool Jersey, from Catharine: 

"I love it because it's such a versatile piece, awesome for her daily hikes or for coming to cheer me on at the races because even at 37 she comes to as many races as possible, because she's a mom!" - Catharine Pendrel

• Giro helmet with MIPS, from Lea: 

"I like the Giro helmet with MIPS because everyone should be riding with this cutting edge technology to maximize the protection to your head and brain; your most precious ressource!" - Lea 

Lea sure loves wearing her helmet :) 

• Mother's Day special boxes , from all of us:

This is such a great idea from Garneau! What a cool way to tell someone we think of her. A surprise box for the roadie mom, triathlete mom, jack of all trades mom, or the mom that braves the cold! Choose the one that fits you mom the best :) 

Canadian store: https://garneau.com/ca/en/mothers-day-cycling-gift-box

US Store: https://garneau.com/us/en/mothers-day-cycling-gift-box

This is the "road" box, but there are 3 other kinds of boxes you could choose from

• Garneau custom cycling kit, from all of us: 

This year, each of us got the chance to design our own custom kit with Garneau. They are all very unique and could make a super nice gift for someone if they can relate to the themes of the kits.

By clicking here, you can read all about the inspiration behind each riders kit and find the link to purchase your favorite.  

• CX Fever collection (Hats, T-shirts, or socks), from Maghalie: 

"If your mom is a cyclocross fan, she needs this unique CX Lover gift. CX Fever Socks, hats, or t-shirts, it is always nice to be able to show the world your passion for your sport." - Maghalie

Also available in red :) 

That hat is also available in black :) 

Happy mother's day to all the moms out there! And thank you, for being so awesome. 

"On y est presque. Il reste juste une montée..."

À chaque année depuis maintenant trois ans, David, Réjean (mon père) et moi s’organisons un petit camp d’entrainement printanier. C’est mon père qui m’a initié au vélo lorsque j’étais jeune et c’est une activité que nous avons toujours aimé faire ensemble.

Étant jeune, il m’amenait toujours à dépasser mes limites…notre motto était “Ça passe ou ça casse”. J’avais 8 ans, mais j’aimais bien cette façon de penser. Je me souvient qu’on se cherchait toujours des défis : quel est le plus long escalier qu’on peut descendre en vélo? Ou encore, on se faisait des petites courses dans les sentiers et le gagnant remportait une barre de chocolat…naturellement, j’avais 8 ans et pas un seul sous, alors c’était toujours moi qui gagnais! Tout était sous forme de jeu, alors j’ai rapidement pris goût à faire du vélo de montagne. Puis, j’aimais bien ce lien spécial que cela me donnait avec mon père.

Et puis, j’étais tellement fière de moi quand je réussissais enfin à franchir une section difficile après être tombé 4 fois en l’essayant.  La clé était souvent dans le « momentum » mon père disait… Je n’étais pas certaine de ce que ce mot voulait dire, mais je savais que plus on en avait, du momentum, plus on avait de chance de réussir une section!

L’autre stratégie que mon père m’a sagement enseignée était qu’il fallait refaire une section tout de suite après être tombée dedans, car sinon on resterait avec cette  peur dans la tête. Je me souviens d’une fois où on avait décidé de prendre une piste fermée. À ce moment là, je devais avoir 10 ans environ. La piste était fermée car les conditions n’étaient pas parfaites et cette piste était très difficile. Papa m’a lancé un regard et je lui ai relancé le même regard…pas besoin de convaincre personne, nous allions passé sous la barrière pour essayer la piste. Je suis tombée lors de mon premier essai, alors naturellement, on a recommencé. Je suis encore tombé, puis des adultes qui étaient au bas de la piste ont rit de moi. J’étais tellement frustrée, alors mon père m’a suggéré de recommencer pour leur montrer que j’étais capable. Il s’est mis au milieu de la descente pour m’attraper si je tombais et je suis remonté au sommet pour réessayer. J’avais peur et je tremblais au top de la descente, mais je savais que je pouvais réussir. Ensemble, on avait bien regardé la ligne idéale, alors je savais quoi faire. Je me suis finalement lancé dans la descente et j’ai réussi! J’étais tellement fière et les adultes qui avaient ris de moi m’ont même applaudi!  Ce jour là, j’ai bien appris la leçon de mon père, et cette façon de penser ne m’a jamais quittée; quand quelque chose me fait peur, je prends le temps de l’analyser et je me lance! Si je rate, c’est signe qu’il faut recommencer.

Aux Jeux Du Québec de Amos en 2005 

Avec mon amie Amélie, qui est maintenant Olympienne en triahtlon

Maintenant, 15 ans plus tard, nous sommes à Sedona à rouler 4-5h par jour en vélo de montagne dans certaines des plus belles trails que j’ai eu la chance de faire. Qui aurait cru, à l’âge de 8ans, que le vélo de montagne deviendrait mon métier et que papa et moi pourrions nous organiser des voyages du genre?!

Eh bien, Rej, lui, il y croyait! Dans le fin fond de moi-même, j’imagine que j’y croyais aussi; je disait souvent que c’était mon rêve d’aller aux Olympiques en vélo de montagne. En fait, c’est probablement celle-là, la leçon la plus importante que mon père m’a apprise; de croire en moi. Plus précisément, il a toujours dit que si je croyais en moi et que je travaillais vraiment fort, je pourrais tout réussir.

Bien sûr, croire en soi et rêver grand est une chose, mais il faut aussi garder les pieds bien encrés dans la réalité si on veut vraiment accomplir quelque chose. C’est trop facile de vivre dans ses fantaisies, mais si on ne peut pas regarder la réalité en pleine face et s’avouer ses plus grandes peurs et ses plus grandes difficultés, on est voués à atteindre un plateau et cesser de progresser. Voilà un point où ma mère et David m’aident continuellement; ils m’encouragent toujours à rêver, mais m’aident d’autant plus à être honnête avec moi-même, puis à accomplir une par une les étapes nécessaires pour y arriver.

Bref, c’est en grande partie grâce à mes parents et à David si je vis maintenant mon rêve de faire une carrière en vélo de montagne. Mais ce qui est encore plus spécial à mes yeux, c’est d’avoir le privilège de faire de que j’aime à tous les jours et de pouvoir partager cette passion avec mon père et avec David…et bien sûr avec ma mère qui regarde chacune des courses et qui prend le temps de m’écouter quand les choses ne vont pas toujours comme je le voudrais.

Bien sûr, maintenant les rôles sont parfois inversés... Alors qu’avant c’était papa qui m’encourageait en disant qu’on était presque arrivé, c’est parfois moi qui utilise la stratégie du « On y est presque. Il reste juste une montée » alors que j’en ai aucune idée.

Mais peu importe! C’est très spécial qu’on puisse partager cela et j’en suis tellement reconnaissante!

Not a piece of cake

Have you ever felt like you wanted a second chance?

Take cake, for example. 

You know when you find a super special recipe and decide to take on the challenge because it's your best friend's birthday and you know he/she loves cake SO MUCH? This isn't your typical cake, it's a multiple days affair. But you really want to get it right, because it's for a special occasion. So 3 days ahead of time, you fully dedicate yourself to that cake. You buy all the ingredients, read the recipe at least 4 times and start with the first step. The next day, you keep going with the other step. For 3 days, basically all you do is mix, wait, bake, cool, mix something else, wait a little more, let it rise, let it fall, let it cool, bake it, poke it, smell it, etc. It's quite the process, but you've been following the recipe to the degree, to the second, to the 0.1 of a gram. 

Birthday finally arrives. It's C day! Cake day! At last. You bake it, wait, and finally, serve it with its candles and the birthday song. You are excited. Your friend seems so happy. You cut the cake, serve it, take a bite... The first taste seems promising. You finally swallow. 

And then...? 

Meh. 

It’s a good cake. But it’s missing a little something. There is no spark, no particularly amazing or special taste. It is just an okay cake and it's kind of dry. 

Disappointed is not quite the emotion you are feeling. You’re still happy you are there with your friend, happy to finally taste that damn cake. But you are definitely not thrilled. All you can think is: What the F*** went wrong? Perhaps, puzzled is the predominant emotion you are feeling. 

You kind of feel like you could try again, because you know it could be much better and it seems like you did everything right. Why doesn't it taste better? Where did I mess up?

***

Well, that’s a little bit how I feel about my race at the World Championships. Except that  the preparation lasted a lot longer than 3 days and it involved a lot more people and a lot more ressources than making a cake. My first reaction was to ask myself: "What happened?" I wasn't too sure and I kind of wished I could do it again…Maybe then I wouldn't make as many stupid mistakes? 

But obviously that is not possible.

I feel like the preparation we did coming into the race was really good. My fitness was good, I felt great on the bike and on the course during the week, and most importantly, my mindset was really positive and focused. I had an amazing start, my legs were feeling good, I made some good passes and found myself in 4th. At that point, I was calm. But I was not riding well and I was making a lot of mistakes. Throughout the race, I never quite figured out how to ride the course correctly or how to be efficient on it. I was either trying too hard, or being too tentative. I was running when I should’ve been riding and was trying to ride when maybe I should’ve been running. At some point, I wasn't that calm anymore and that was not helping me make better decisions. 

Minutes before the start. Ready to go! Photo by Anton Vos

Did a bit too much of that... 

Photo by Ralph Samson

The course was brutal, but it was still really fun to try to figure out. 

And although I am not happy about my race, I am somehow not devastated either. I’ve been devastated about bad races before, but this time feels different. It’s not like I wasn’t trying; I just wasn’t good enough on that day, on that course, in those conditions. I just feel like I came up short and I so wish I could have another shot and try again. 

I guess that’s the whole point about the World Championships, though. There is no second chance. This race comes once a year and it is the biggest, most important, most prestigious of all (except maybe for the Olympics, but that doesn’t exist in cyclocross). At worlds, everyone has the same goal. We all want to win. So everybody shows up with their most complete tool case, their best preparation, their energy tanks filled to the fullest, and their greatest hopes.  We all fight for the same thing and only 1 person comes out on top.

And I guess that’s the beauty of it all. It’s okay that there isn’t a second chance, because it wouldn’t be as special. It’s also probably the reason why I love World Championships so much and why I always feel so grateful to be a part of it.

About 4:21 minutes slower than I would have wanted to... Cool photo from Ralph Samson

Last year I had a great race at Worlds and finished 5th. People ask me if that result affected me, coming into the Worlds this time around. The answer is that it did and it didn’t. It gave me the confidence to believe that I can be up there battling with the best in the world. But did it give me expectations?  No. I wasn’t thinking about any of that before the race on Saturday. Finishing 5th at Worlds is something I achieved last year, and no matter what happened this weekend, it wouldn’t change anything to the fact that I have achieved it. I was never trying to repeat something I have done before. Each race is new and different and represents an opportunity to see what is the best that I can do. The 2017 Worlds was a very special day for me and I often think about it because I want to relive that incredible feeling of fulfillment and joy again, and chasing that feeling is one of my biggest source of inspiration. But “repeating” is not on my mind, because I know that no matter what I do, it will always be different.

So as I am flying home this morning, I am feeling a little bit “meh” about my race, but I am also proud and happy. We had a lot of fun in the preparation process and I feel like we learned a ton. Learned about how to race in Europe, and learned more about how to prepare for big events. I’m also happy I got to experience another world championships and share it with some of my favorite people.

I’ll finish this off by saying thank you to those wonderful peeps. You all know who you are, so thank you for being there, for helping me be the best I can, for sharing those moments with me, for supporting me... And simply, thank you all for being you, because your presence/support on every single day of the year make everything that much better and so much more worth it!

I sure hope #crossiscoming soon, because I already can't wait to give it another shot at next year's Worlds in Denmark. But for now, it’s time to take some time off and eat some good cake...if only I can nail that recipe.  

Thank you for cheering, everyone! 

Maghs 

Pre riding on course all week with Katerina was really fun. The conditions were constantly changing. 

Pre riding. 

After the last pre-ride. Some of us are more pro than others! Nevertheless, we were both very excited to race the next day. 

What the course conditions look like. Not exactly easy to navigate on a bike or on foot. The spectators showed great dedication that weekend. Also, those boots were awesome - Quinn model from Bogs Footwear. 

A sea of spectators. CRAYYYY-Z.  

Always mind blowing to see the amount of people attending the Euro cross races. It was fun to get to watch the mens race with friends and family. 

Teamwork, once again. Gary helping us clean up after a good cheering session during the men's race. 

The day after Worlds. No mater hoe it goes, life goes on and you gotta pack it up.
In this sport, nothing is possible alone. From training, to sharing ideas, to prepping bikes, to massage, to grocery, laundry, keeping a chill vibe, sharing your concerns, etc. Here is a team packing session. Thanks to everyone on my big team for making it all so much better.