If the Canadian team was able to be represented in the women’s endurance events at the Track Cycling World Championships, it is largely thanks to Lily Plante. Because of the results she achieved this season, but also for the thousands of dollars she paid to be able to race on the international scene.
A context is required to fully understand this situation. By focusing only on the results, the Quebecer did not particularly stand out in Santiago. She ranked 19e of the omnium, was eliminated from the Madison with Ngaire Barraclough and was stopped in the first round with her teammates in the team pursuit. We will come back to this.
The fact remains that the Quebecer’s sensations were better than at last year’s Worlds, despite complicated preparation. It was a close call for the track rider not to be on the starting lists at the World Championships, like the other Canadian women in endurance events elsewhere.
Plante took part in the Nations Cup in Türkiye and the Pan American Championships with the Canadian team. But she also traveled the world at her own expense for other competitions, without a coach or mechanic and taking care of all the organization. Between $8,000 and $10,000, according to his estimates, in order to participate in C1 and C2 category races which allow you to collect points in the world rankings. This ranking is the one which determines the places offered to each country at the World Championships. Plante also took care of all the planning surrounding accommodation and transportation during competitions.
Naturally, such management wears out over time. It generates uncertainties and additional stress.
“Reservations, trains and buses, accommodation and many other things mean that we spend a lot of energy in the preparation and logistics of the trip. It’s a big mental load that athletes from other countries don’t have, Lily Plante told Sportcom. My great quality is to be resilient, but sometimes I find it boring to be resilient! »
Last year, Plante reached the podium at the four days in Geneva, Switzerland. She then made three additional trips that took her to Portugal, France, Slovakia and Italy to collect points.
It was in August that she confirmed her 12e place in the world rankings for endurance events. Failing to be one of the 16 countries qualified thanks to the ranking of nations, Canada, 18ewas entitled to an entry for the endurance races at the elite Worlds.
The results on paper are not excellent, but given the efforts we have to put in to get there, I think it is already a step in the right direction.
Lily Plant
Unlike last year, on the occasion of her first participation in the Worlds, Lily Plante wanted to lighten her schedule and conserve her strength.
“I find that I have taken a step”
So let’s go back to the results obtained at the World Championships last October. In the omnium, a discipline which includes four events, Plante finished 12e in the scratch race, 20e at the tempo run, 21e in the elimination race and 19e in the points race. Cumulatively, it stands at 19e level with 21 points.
“There are a lot of positives to the omnium. I have improved my endurance a lot. I felt good at the end and wasn’t in agony like last year. The result on paper is worse than last year [elle s’était classée 17e, NDLR]but given the level which was very high, I think I took a step forward. »
That same day, she was part of the Canadian team pursuit team alongside Ariane Bonhomme, Fiona Majendie and Alexandra Volstad. The quartet, which only had a few days of preparation for this event, was stopped in qualifying, ranked ninth 3.32 seconds from the last place giving access to the next round.
PHOTO AGUSTIN MARCARIAN, REUTERS ARCHIVES
Lily Plante (front), Fiona Majendie, Ariane Bonhomme and Alexandra Volstad in the team pursuit
“It went really badly and I take a lot of the blame. I wasn’t up to it. I had a bad day and it affected the whole team. We placed ninth, even though we clearly had the potential to do better,” said Plante.
The Madison remains the priority
Lily Plante also took part in the Madison with Alberta’s Ngaire Barraclough. The latter suffered a concussion in July and remained on the sidelines for a few weeks. The Canadians were ultimately the last team to be withdrawn during the event due to falling too far behind the lead.
“We are a little disappointed with that. We qualified on the skin of our butts this year, so we were starting in the last ones. In these races, it’s difficult to get back together because it’s really chaos. We were already starting with a little difficulty and we struggled throughout the race without managing to get to the front,” summarized Plante about this relay event that she would like to complete at the Los Angeles Olympic Games.
In the coming months, the Canadian duo plans to go “hunting for points” in order to obtain a better world ranking and thus a better position on the starting line.
“We will be able to make sure we position ourselves well and take the right wheels in the first laps instead of spending energy at the rear. »
Lily Plante’s resilience will remain her greatest asset if she wants to live her dream of participating in her first Olympic Games in 2028. The Olympic qualification process will not begin until 2027, so there is still plenty of time for her to continue her progress.
“I don’t want to give up until I’ve done everything in my power to get there,” the athlete concluded. She will prepare for the Canadian Championships in January which will be held at the Bromont Vélodrome.
