QUEBEC – In a field of 51 of the nation’s top female road cyclists, Canmore’s Sara Poidevin raced to a third-place finish in the 2021 Canadian Road Championships in Saint-Gorges, Que. on Sunday (Sept. 12).
The 25-year-old cyclist is no stranger to the national championships, having raced in the U23 and elite divisions, but this marks her first podium finish in the event.
“Personally, this builds a lot of confidence, especially when I had to race for myself. It’s a really exciting result and I was happy to share the podium with a couple of really good riders,” Poidevin said.
Poidevin finished with a time of 3:19:13, just six-and-a-half minutes off the mark of Alison Jackson, who finished first and four minutes behind second-place finisher Maghalie Rochette.
Cycling is a team sport and over the past two seasons, Poidevin who races for the Rally Cycling, has been thrust into a supporting role on the team. Her previous best result this season was a fifth-place finish at the Joe Martin Stage Race in Arkansas, the race preceding the national championships.
“I have been in a supporting role most of the season. We have had good result’s as a team but personally I have not been able to reach the podium until now,” she said.
“It’s a unique opportunity cycling at a national championship because there are not whole teams out there controlling the race and playing a tactical game so you have to race by your own strengths.”
She said when supporting her teammates it can feel like a job and that one can become too comfortable in a supporting role. She was eager to race for herself and approach the race in a different way than she has this past season.
“It’s a different mentality. When you’re in a position going for a result you just have to be that much more careful throughout the day about where you are spending energy and then when you do spend the energy you have to make sure you’re fully committed and you kind of have to go all in with whatever decision you make.”
Within the first 30-kilometres of the 114.6km road race, Poidevin was part of a 25-rider group that broke away from the peloton.
“I had an idea where the big moves were going to take place, so I knew where to make my moves at the key moments. It was a difficult race and I knew it was going to wear riders out,” said Poidevin.
The course featured several repetitive short climbs with quick descents and in the windy conditions, Poidevin described the race as gruelling. She estimates the longest climb of the day was only three minutes long.
“I do like the climbs, but I would prefer them to be significantly longer than the ones we raced on here. Doing those punchy climbs all day in the wind really takes it out of you,” said the all-rounder cyclist.
Halfway through the race Jackson and Rochette broke away from the initial breakaway group and Poidevin said she joined a breakaway chase group of five riders.
Because riders were cycling on their own and not part of a team, the chase group was disorganized and was eventually caught by a group of 10 riders with about 20km left in the race. It was at this point Poidevin knew she had to make a move soon. She admitted she did not want to have to make a sprint to the finish line after all the repetitive climbs.
“I have raced that section in the past so when I was riding it and doing recon, I always had it in my mind as a good spot to make a move.”
After taking advantage of riders in the pack that were keen to take on most of the work out front, Poidevin was able to take a breather and then make her move with just 8km left in the race.
“You know it’s hard but you don’t realize how fatigued you are until that last hour and then you try to go hard on a hill and it hurts. “I knew if I was hurting going all out on the climb then everyone else would be too and it was my last shot.”
The patience and preparation paid off and Poidevin crossed the finish line in third place.
Returning to her team, she is excited to make an impact in the last race of the season.
The Cycling Canada non-travelling alternate for the 2021 Summer Olympics will now turn her attention to the Sea Otter Classic road race in Monterrey, California, in October.
