Marta Cavalli knows what being at cycling’s top table feels like. She’s been there, tucked in happily among the elite, a winner of major races, a contender in Grand Tours, and talked about as a candidate to win the Tour de France Femmes. She also knows what being at the opposite end of the spectrum is like: injured, down, out – very out, in fact – fearful of the present and future, entrenched in a position where hope is in short supply. At the peak of her powers, in the summer of 2022, she crashed out of the maiden Tour de France Femmes with multiple fractures, and then two training ride crashes in 2024 restricted her to just five race days last season. Unsurprisingly, the Italian is a different woman for what she’s experienced.

“I think what’s happened in the last few years has changed my life, not just me, but also me as a rider,” the 26-year-old says. “A lot of things have changed. It was hard – the challenges were hard. I accepted it was hard, and I was really close to giving up, but I’m happy that I didn’t. I don’t want that fear beats me.” At times, though, it did cripple her.

This article was published by Rouleur in February 2025. You can read the full article here.