Take3 weeks ago
Vallières defends her title on home soil—and she frames it not as pressure but as advantage. The world champion has already said that racing at home brings her "far more excitement than pressure." Montreal's circuit is punchy and selective, much like Kigali, where she claimed her rainbow jersey.
In 11 months wearing the rainbow jersey, Vallières has raced Strade Bianche, La Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Giro d'Italia, and Tour de France Femmes—a schedule that leaves no room for champion's syndrome. She acknowledges the weight of the jersey, but frames it differently: "It's an honor to wear this jersey, and every time it's something special." Now she arrives as the favorite on a circuit 90 minutes from her native Sherbrooke, and the psychological context stacks in her favor.
Sources
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