When Élise Chabbey (Canyon-SRAM) is doing a stage race, it’s extra possible than not that she’s going to put on polka-dots sooner or later through the race.
The 30-year-old Swiss climber who got here to biking comparatively late after ending a medical diploma has amassed a group of mountain jerseys via the final years, successful the KOM classification within the 2021 and 2022 Ladies’s Excursions in addition to the 2022 Itzulia Ladies and this 12 months’s Tour de Suisse and putting excessive in lots of different races.
However as Chabbey revealed in an interview with Cyclingnews forward of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the mountain jersey isn’t a particular aim for her.
“I believe it’s simply my method of racing and attacking. I prefer to assault on the highest of the climb as a result of I really feel like that is the place it’s the toughest for folks to observe. It’s additionally to enter the downhill as a result of I just like the downhills, so it’s simply my method of racing. Generally I’ve factors for the mountain jersey after which I’ve it, however it has by no means actually been a aim in itself,” says Chabbey.
As soon as she wears the jersey, although, Chabbey doesn’t simply relinquish it. If choosing up mountain factors is an possibility that doesn’t take an excessive amount of out of her, she tries to take action, however the primary aim is to win a stage or end excessive within the basic classification.
“After all, it’s good to go on the rostrum and put on the jersey. Within the Tour de Suisse, for example, I used to be actually blissful to go on the rostrum in my dwelling nation day by day. It’s good to have it for certain, however we at all times go first for GC or a stage win with the group, after which the mountain jersey is a bonus,” she explains.
“When I’ve it and I do know it’s potential to maintain it and it’s not such a giant effort to go for factors, then, yeah, it’s good.”
The upcoming Tour de France Femmes is the spotlight of Chabbey’s and her group’s 2023 season, and so they have formidable plans for the race.
“The Tour will likely be actually arduous this 12 months. We did the recon, and each stage is tremendous, tremendous arduous. I believe stage wins and GC will just about go collectively. We didn’t have the assembly but, so I’m undecided precisely what the technique will likely be for day by day, however total, the group is kind of sturdy with various kinds of riders,” Chabbey checked out a well-rounded Canyon-SRAM Tour squad.
“I believe we are able to go for a tough race day by day. The aim will likely be to go for a stage win, and final 12 months, Kasia Niewiadoma was third total. She confirmed that she may be among the many finest, and I believe she will achieve this once more this 12 months. If we are able to attain the GC podium, that may be an ideal end result for the group,” she defined that Niewiadoma would in all probability be the group’s GC chief.
Requested about her private ambitions, Chabbey made clear what ranked increased in her thoughts: “I believe it’s higher to win a stage. I believe I might go for that,” she mentioned.
In her profession to this point, Chabbey has received the Swiss non-UCI race Berner Rundfahrt in 2019, the 2020 Swiss championships, and stage 1 of the 2021 Tour de Suisse in addition to the 2022 Combined Relay World Championships with the Swiss nationwide group. Nonetheless, she has a string of prime leads to stage races and classics alike. A stage win within the Tour de France Femmes can be one other step up or, failing that, the mountain jersey.
“Within the Tour, the mountain jersey is mostly a aim for lots of people, everyone desires to be on the rostrum. We noticed final 12 months that Demi Vollering received the mountain jersey on the finish, it’s actually one of many strongest who will win it,” Chabbey identified that she would have sturdy competitors if she had been to go for the polka-dot jersey.
Nonetheless, the profile of the opening stage round Clermont-Ferrand is well-suited for an assault on the stage that might additionally internet the mountain jersey because the day’s solely categorized climb is lower than ten kilometres from the end.
“For certain, it will likely be one of many strongest within the bunch who will get it, as a result of whoever is first on the hill will possibly even be first on the end line. I need to be aggressive and attempt to go for the stage,” Chabbey promised that she and her group would go all-in from the beginning of the race.