After a spectacular season, Marta Cavalli (FDJ-SUEZ) entered the 2022 Tour de France Femmes with Zwift as one of the favorites. However, when she fell out of the race on stage, it severely ruined her season. Cavalli is now one of seven riders in a powerful FDJ-SUEZ line-up that will compete in the Tour de France Femmes.
She spoke candidly about the crash that cost her the Tour de France last year and bothered her for months afterward, preventing her from achieving the same success as in her breakout 2022 season, when she won the Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne, Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge, and placed second in the Giro d’Italia Donne.
“The collision was severe. I was fortunate in that the damage didn’t turn out to be too serious, but it took me a few weeks to realize how I was feeling. I had to rebuild a lot of confidence after the concussion because rehabilitation was so difficult, according to Cavalli.
“We started working incredibly hard right away to go back to the top level from that point on. Now I can say I’m extremely close and I’m really thrilled to be back, but there are still many little things we need to work on because the level is so high right now.
The Italian, who is now 25 years old, suffered head and lower body injuries in the collision, as well as a concussion. Cavalli’s early 2023 season was stop-and-go; she took a break after the UAE Tour and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad before competing in the Trofeo Binda, then returned for the hilly classics in mid-April where she had been so successful the year before. She eventually returned to racing in October 2022, just before the season ended.
To be able to say, “Here I am, back at my best level, at the highest level of women’s cycling,” she remarked, “now we are waiting for the results.”
It was up and down initially, but we worked extremely hard during the winter and believed everything was in order. In two training camps with the team, my shape was gradually improving, and everything appeared to be in order. But when I returned to racing, I felt like I hit a brick wall. I believe I suffered a little bit as a result of the months I went without any major competitions or endeavors. It was pretty low for me.
On stage two of the UAE Tour, Cavalli fell 31 seconds behind the leaders, and things became worse on stage three as she began the Jebel Hafeet finishing climb at less than two minutes behind.
At the time, the team acknowledged that Cavalli was still experiencing the aftereffects of the collision more mentally than physically.
“I was pretty strong on the climb, but I was having mental and physical difficulties in the group. With high speeds and echelons, I had to regain my confidence, which wasn’t simple for me. But after that, we literally observed everything returning step by step and race after race. I simply needed some time to regain the high level and the group’s excitement.
“I had a good summer preparation. I was able to do a good climb and win on Hautacam in the Tour Féminin Pyrénées, which was a good confidence boost for the Giro.”
Cavalli supported her teammate Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, who finished sixth in the general classification, by finishing 14th overall in the Italian Grand Tour despite consistently performing well but not quite at the same level as the top GC contenders.
There were high expectations for me following my second-place performance in the Giro the previous year from both the team and the supporters. I could tell that my level was lower throughout the spring of this year, which made it difficult to accept at times during the last few months.
Less pressure than in 2022
However, there is a benefit to not having as fantastic results as in 2022: Cavalli feels freer this year since she is under less pressure, and she believes this will benefit her.
“In the Tour this year, I have nothing to lose. With the exception of the Tour Féminin Pyrénées, the events had fewer good riding days than the previous year, which is why I can only win, she claimed.
“To make up for the effort we accomplished, I’m tremendously inspired to do something interesting. The last few days of training following the Giro gave me the impression that everything was improving and that I could ride without worrying. This year, I’ve already won a race.
“We don’t know how long it will take to get back to where I was in 2022, but we’re going to keep training, pushing, and especially trying to keep the motivation incredibly strong. If I can support my colleagues, I will be extremely glad if my Tour is a success—not just for me, but also for the team. I can set a number of objectives that will ultimately satisfy me.
With Cavalli accompanied by Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, Évita Muzic, Grace Brown, Vittoria Guazzini, Loes Adegeest, and Jade Wiel, FDJ-SUEZ is bringing a potent team to the Tour de France Femmes.
The primary goal is to compete for the GC. We have three potential leaders: Cecilie, Évita, who is our top choice, and me, said Cavalli.
“During the first three to four stages, we will monitor the situation. We won’t try to limit ourselves, therefore we’ll try to seize opportunities. If the legs are strong, we’ll aim to win the stage, and if we’re in a good spot in the general classification, we’ll try to compete for that.
She stated her desire for a more open-ended strategy because at the time the strategy isn’t clear-cut. “In my opinion, it’s not good to pick just one goal and go for that because we saw last year that we had the one plan, and in two days it all fell apart,” she said.
The 2023 Tour de France concludes with an individual time trial in and around Pau, as opposed to the 2022 edition. This is a good addition to the race, in Cavalli’s view.
“It increases uncertainty since there have been seven days of racing. And it will be our first time because a Grand Tour is really far into it now, whereas often we have a TT within the first two or three days and occasionally in the Giro.
It follows the Tourmalet, which is already going to be a challenging day for everyone. Vittoria and Grace are two of our talented TT riders, nevertheless. It is Vittoria’s first race after suffering an injury in April. However, I believe she is in fantastic shape and will be a great asset to the club. She can truly make a difference on the team, therefore having a rider like her is always a good card. I’m thrilled that the squad chose Vittoria because she is both really powerful and Italian.