Magdeleine Vallieres has extended her contract with EF Education-Cannondale, a decision she made even before her first race day with the team. Reflecting on her initial experiences, she shared, “Right from when I arrived at the first training camp last December, I knew. I knew before we even got started that I wanted to sign for longer. At the training camp, I just thought, ‘My god, I really like it here. It feels like home.’ I told my agent I needed to stay because I just really like it. And it turns out the team is happy to keep me so it’s worked out for everyone.”
Vallieres, who previously held the role of a domestique, has been discovering her broader capabilities with the team. “I’ve gotten opportunities which I didn’t have in the past. I think I’ve been growing a lot quicker as a result. I’ve learned so much from not being in the same role all the time, to do more than just be a domestique and work only at the beginning of a race. Now sometimes I get the opportunity to have more of a free role. This has all helped me to learn a lot about me and this also gives me more confidence in myself,” she explained.
In January, Vallieres secured her first professional win at Trofeo Palma Femina, a performance that did not surprise general manager Esra Tromp. Tromp remarked, “From the beginning, we thought Magdeleine is such a versatile rider. She is much stronger than other people realise. We’ve had her trying different roles in addition to the domestique role that she already has experience with. A rider with her physical capabilities could grow into a leader, a captain, or a super domestique. She has the personality to do it. You can see that she has sparkles and wants to go for the win, whether it’s for her or her teammates. That’s why we’ve given her some of the different roles to challenge her so she can continue to develop and become a stronger racer.”
Vallieres attributes her rapid growth and confidence to the varied opportunities she has received and the supportive team environment. “I feel like we’re all learning a lot and we’re all helping each other grow,” she said. “Every time we have a question, we just discuss it. Everyone has different input and different perspectives so you end up learning a bit from everyone. I’ve also been learning from Carmen [Small] and Daniel [Foder], our sport directors. I’ve worked with Daniel before and every time I go to a race with him, I learn something new. And with Carmen, she really takes the time to help me see what I did well or what I did poorly or how I can improve.”
