Cindy Montambault is not an athlete like others. She started her career later than usual but it doesn't prevent her from giving her best and aiming at the Olympics. Let’s make a recap of the season of this unconventional cyclist.
Her recap for 2018
It was a long year for Cindy, ambassador at Power Run! She started her season in March in South Africa and wrapped everything at the end of October. Amazing discoveries and travels, hardships, challenges… she went through a lot this year but for her, the experience is priceless: “You can’t buy experience! You have to do things on your own. It takes many attempts and mistakes. A lot of mistakes, actually, when you learn! But whatever people say, until you try it yourself, you can’t learn.”
The most important race of her season ? The World Championship in Switzerland where she finished 31st. Her best performance in Europe: “In Switzerland, It was my best European performance and it went great, especially for an end of season! It was really tough. Even if you’re still motivated, there’s also the exhaustion from the whole season so it can be difficult. I still managed to do a really good race, I didn’t make mistakes and I was able to follow my game plan so I’m really happy about it!”
© Christian Ste-Croix
This year for the first time, she also took part in every World Cup circuit in at least 7 different countries: “It was my first time doing that but it went great! Actually, I learned a lot from the previous year. Even if I didn’t do all the races last year, I did some blocs in Europe and I didn’t handle the travels very well. I think this year I was able to wrap up the season properly thanks to the experience!”
The Brasil Ride also left a big impression of Cindy. It’s a race in pair, done in 7 stages and it was not easy to handle. The race itself was difficult but Cindy also had to deal with sickness when she was in Brazil. An adventure that she tells us about with a smile now: “The second stage lasted 6h30 and it rained from start to end. It was really difficult. It was the most difficult day of my career actually! We were leaders in the race since we won the day before and Jacqueline, my partner, was leading us but after 2km there was a big slope and our wheels could not longer spin because there was too much mud. Everyone had to make a stop to wash their bikes in the lake! We went on again, all wet and muddy. It wasn’t exactly a fun day! And then, when we reached the end and there was only 100 meters left, there was a flag on the ground and it got caught into my partner’s wheel! I was trying hard to get it out but the others were catching up with us! We sprinted and we won by 9 seconds! I was really exhausted but it was a great experience that helped me grow as an athlete and also as a person!”
© Canadian Cyclist
Apart from the hardships of that stage, Cindy also paid a price for this win: “Two days after the second stage, I woke up and I was sick! We had won the first three stages and everything was great for us, we were on track to win the overall because we were leading. Unfortunately, when I woke up that morning, I don’t know what happen, maybe a bacteria in the mud since many other people were also sick, but I couldn’t finish the race. It was supposed to be the hardest race, the ambulance was there and there was also a supply point. When we got there, I put my bike on the side, leaned on my knees and that’s when the ambulance took me and told me that it was over for me.”
For Cindy, all these lessons are priceless. This season taught her a lot about herself and it also proved that the body can do anything as long as you set your mind to it but sometimes, you also have to know when to let it go! The Israel Epic left a big impression on our athlete, because of the race but also because of the discovery of the country! For Cindy, it’s an experience she will never forget:
“My partner had 4 flat tires in the first stage! We had to handle the stress, repair the bikes and still keep on going but… I loved every step it! It was the first time I was doing a stage race so I didn’t know how I was going to react or how I was going to handle my efforts from the first stage to the last one but in the end, it went really great! I was able to save my energy and I ate properly in the morning because you know, it’s really important to eat well throughout the stages! I also had a good routine that worked quite well for me: I had 2 flasks and inside I put the BCAA from Power Run and also added a little bit of salt because it was really hot! I believe it made a difference and it really helped me recover the day after a race. I think it was a great tactic.”
As for her visit in Jerusalem, Cindy had a hard time finding her words to explain her awe when she mentioned it:
“When we first arrived, we had 2 races in the North of Tel Aviv but the scenery didn’t really feel unfamiliar. It was beautiful… but not different from what we’re used to! But when we went to visit Jerusalem… Wow! It’s such a legendary place! I’m not even religious or anything but knowing that there are so many stories told in this place, it really left a big impression on me!”
What now?
Now, Cindy is back to her training! She’s heading to Panama for two weeks for daily trainings of 22 to 25 hours a day. After that, she will fly to California to keep training with the team of Quebec. Her next goal? Being part of the team for the Mountain Bike World Championships that will take place in Canada next year: “Being in the top 20, that’s definitely something I would love!”