Magdeleine Vallieres extends with EF Education-Cannondale

“Right from when I arrived at the first training camp last December, I knew,” Magdeleine said. “I knew before we even got started that I wanted to sign for longer. At the training camp, I just thought, ‘My god, I really like it here. It feels like home.’ I told my agent I needed to stay because I just really like it. And it turns out the team is happy to keep me so it’s worked out for everyone.”

Before joining EF Education-Cannondale, Magdeleine had been labeled a domestique. Now that she has been given different roles and opportunities, the 22-year-old is discovering her abilities are far wider than she imagined.

“I’ve gotten opportunities which I didn’t have in the past. I think I’ve been growing a lot quicker as a result. I’ve learned so much from not being in the same role all the time, to do more than just be a domestique and work only at the beginning of a race. Now sometimes I get the opportunity to have a more of a free role. This has all helped me to learn a lot about me and this also gives me more confidence in myself,” she said.

In January, the rider from Quebec earned her first professional win in just her second race day of the season, soloing to victory at Trofeo Palma Femina. The result didn’t surprise general manager Esra Tromp, who knew from the beginning she wanted Magdeleine to experiment with different roles.

“From the beginning, we thought Magdeleine is such a versatile rider,” Esra said. “She is much stronger than other people realize. We’ve had her trying different roles in addition to the domestique role that she already has experience with. A rider with her physical capabilities could grow into a leader, a captain, or a super domestique. She has the personality to do it. You can see that she has sparkles and wants to go for the win, whether it’s for her or her teammates. That’s why we’ve given her some of the different roles to challenge her so she can continue to develop and become a stronger racer.”

Continuing to grow and learn are Magdeleine’s primary goals. With EF Education-Cannondale, she has a host of mentors who are always ready to guide her and offer input.

“I feel like we’re all learning a lot and we’re all helping each other grow,” she said. “Every time we have a question, we just discuss it. Everyone has different input and different perspectives so you end up learning a bit from everyone. I’ve also been learning from Carmen [Small] and Daniel [Foder], our sport directors. I’ve worked with Daniel before and every time I go to a race with him, I learn something new. And with Carmen, she really takes the time to help me see what I did well or what I did poorly or how I can improve.”

Magdeleine said that wanting to extend her contract was not just about her race results and future potential. The team’s inclusive and supportive culture, along with the relationships she’s formed with her new teammates, are equally important to her.

“Of course it’s very professional and serious,” Magdeleine said. “But I like that we can also have fun. And when you finish a race, you can just laugh and joke and enjoy the time and have a good conversation. It kind of de-stresses you. It’s a bonus that by extending my contract, I get to keep doing hotel reviews on RaceTV. I’ve never been so happy.”

And we’re so happy to have you, Mags!