Ashleigh Moolman Pasio of AG Insurance – Soudal is set to resume her racing calendar this month, following a challenging period marked by injury and illness. The South African rider sustained a vertebral fracture during the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya in early June, but is now ready to return to competition.
Reflecting on her preparations, Moolman Pasio shared, “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.”
Moolman Pasio’s spring season was marred by a bacterial infection contracted during the cold conditions of the spring classics, forcing her to miss several races. “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,” she said.
The subsequent recovery period presented its own set of challenges. “After recovering, I was able to train well and felt strong again, but then I broke my T10 vertebra in June,” Moolman Pasio explained. She added, “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.”
Photo Credit: ASO-Charly LopezRecovery involved a delicate balance of rest and training. “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,” Moolman Pasio noted. “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.”
Her return to form has been steady, with no setbacks during her recovery process. “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.”
Despite the lack of race rhythm this year, Moolman Pasio remains mentally prepared and optimistic about her return. “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.”
She expressed her eagerness to return to racing, saying, “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.”
