Maeve Plouffe Interview 2020

Maeve Plouffe – Catching Up

Maeve Plouffe
Time to catch up with this
rising star of cycling

Maeve – Pedal North Interview

We thought that it was time to catch up with this rising star of world cycling, Australian rider Maeve Plouffe. Time for a chat then…

Nadezhda
What challenges have you had to overcome this year? How did you motivate yourself and overcome the injury mid-season?

Maeve
Breaking my wrist in July was a huge challenge. It happened in just my second race in Belgium. I came off my bike and snapped both my radius and ulna, and displaced them badly. The doctors tried to manipulate it back into place in what was a very painful process, but after two attempts the bones still wouldn’t align. I had to fly back to Australia with it all swollen and bruised for surgery.

I was obviously really devastated about the injury. I felt like I was missing out on such an important block of racing and it was hard to see my teammates training hard while I was stuck in my bed. I was told it would be at least 8 weeks before I could get back on the road again.

Fortunately I was able to get back to spinning on the ergo within a week of surgery, which I built up as I felt better. It was great to get moving again but I completely underestimated the stress my body had been through and how hard it would be to get through a simple set of efforts in the first few weeks back. I had no strength or movement, and couldn’t even rotate my wrist gently or touch my thumb to my index finger for weeks. It was all very overwhelming.

Things started to get better as I got more movement back. I had a great support network back in Adelaide who helped me with rehab and day to day life. They helped me see the bigger picture. My gym coach got me in the gym 5x per week building back muscle, and I started to push harder and harder on the ergo. I just wanted to be back on track so that when my teammates returned, I could keep up with them! My power wasn’t good compared to what I usually hold, but I learnt an important lesson: it doesn’t matter how many watts you are pushing, only that you are pushing your hardest. I’d be on the ergo for hours every day doing just that. It was mind numbing and there was a lot of self-doubt and tears! But I’m all the better for it now.

Nadezhda
Did you still manage to achieve all the goals set for 2019?

Maeve
It’s crazy to think my injury in the middle of the year actually pushed me to achieve above and beyond what I thought I was capable of. I set some pretty ambitious goals before my injury and I’ll admit, I was forced to reassess them during rehab. Before my injury I wanted to do a 3:32 IP time and at least 6 laps contribution to our TP at Oceanias in October. In the back of my mind I also wanted to put my best foot forward for Olympic selection, although I kept that one quiet.

After my injury, however, I had to face reality and the fact that I wouldn’t have all the prep I imagined going into Oceanias. I dropped my IP goal to a 3:35 and said I would be happy to do 4 or 5 lead laps in our TP. I also believed that Tokyo might be too ambitious.

When I got back on the track bike, I was so focused on my training and university. I made a conscious decision that in every session, in every effort, I wanted to be the best and do my best. At Oceanias I ended up riding a 3:31 IP, which was a massive personal best. I won the scratch race and podiumed in almost every event. Our TP was a huge success and the team rode a brilliant time!

After Oceanias, my dream of riding with Australia’s top TP team was realised. I was given the opportunity to train for the Cambridge and Brisbane World Cups with our Australian elite women’s squad, who are all training for the Olympics. We rode a new Australian record in Cambridge which was honestly so exciting. That racing block opened the door for me and just recently I was named on the Australian team for the Track World Championships in Berlin next year, which is our last hit out before the Olympics. I can’t really believe it!

Nadezhda
What gets you out of bed every morning, even during challenging moments?

Maeve
I have a bit of an obsessive personality! By that, I mean I’ll find a goal or a passion and stop at nothing to see through with it. I guess it is just this irrepressible desire to be better than I was yesterday. I joke that I always tend to always find the hard way to do things, and although it mightn’t pay off short term, I trust that it always does in the long run. I love to challenge myself in both my cycling career and my study. As an athlete, I guess what gets me out of bed is the satisfaction I get from personal bests, and from knowing I’ve dug deep every time I do an effort.

In a team’s pursuit or Madison, it’s motivating to be part of a team working together for a common goal or time, where everyone is giving it their absolute best to deliver the next person well. In my studies I have a passion for marine biology, and also the core belief that environmental conservation and change starts from a political and legal standpoint. Doing a double degree in law and marine biology is unconventional and difficult, but I trust my instinct and hope I’ll be able to make a difference in society one day.

Nadezhda
What are your objectives for 2020 and beyond in cycling?

Maeve
My biggest goal is to be selected for the 2020 Olympics. It’s funny stating that as a goal…. A few months ago I would have labelled that as more of a dream! I am by far the youngest in a squad of some very fast and experienced riders so I have no doubt it will be hard. They are all current world champions so I’d love to defend the rainbows with them at the World Championships in Berlin along the way. We are on track to ride a pretty fast time!

Nadezhda
Who has been your biggest cycling inspiration?

Maeve
I’m fortunate enough to train with my “inspirations” every day! The women on the Australian cycling team are the best in the world at pursuiting, and have so many Olympic, Commonwealth and World championship medals amongst them. I’ve looked up to them for so many years, so it’s surreal to now be riding with them!

If I got to meet any cyclist in the world for the first time though, it would be Chloe Dygart. Her strength is incredible and I love that she is strong on both the road and track!

Nadezhda
If you could cycle any route in the world tomorrow, where would you go?

Maeve
Hmm, I’m not sure! I don’t have a particular route I’d like to ride but there are a few countries I’d love to ride through. I’d like to tour through more of Europe, because I’ve not spent much time there. I’m also fascinated by the cycling scene in Asia… one day!

Nadezhda
What’s your favorite dish? Do you follow a strict diet?

Maeve
I wouldn’t say I follow a “strict” diet, but I do make educated choices to optimise my performance. For example, my routine is generally fuelling with carbohydrates before a heavy track day, recovering with protein and staying hydrated. It’s a slippery slope, particularly for young female athletes, to balance staying “lean” with ensuring you are adequate fuelling your training. Fortunately we have a great nutritionist, at Cycling Australia, Jill, who helps us make the right decisions around nutrition.

As for my favourite dish, I grew up in Singapore so I love Malaysian and Indonesian food! It’s not the healthiest option but it makes me nostalgic.

Nadezhda
Who has had the biggest impact on your career?

Maeve
Probably my old SASI coach, Brett Aikten; he trained me from being a complete novice to making my first Australian team. The work ethic he taught me has stuck with me throughout my career.

Nadezhda
What’s your advice for someone getting into cycling for the very first time? What advice would you give to someone who wants to join a cycling club, but nervous?

Maeve
I would say… go for it! There is no greater freedom than the freedom that being on a bike gives you. Cycling is great because there truly is something for everyone. You can ride socially with your friends, or seek some alone time to clear the head. You can get into racing, or stick to riding on the weekends, or simply use your bike to commute. Either way, you gain fitness, friendships and a whole new level of freedom!

My advice to any novice rider would be to find a good, friendly group that you can ride with and learn from. Cycling has a lot of equipment to buy and maintain and a fairly complex culture which can be quite overwhelming to an outsider! I was fortunate enough to get into track via a Talent ID program, so all of my equipment was sorted for the first year, however after that I really struggled because I didn’t have a group to ride with. It wasn’t until a Triathlon group, Fuse Multisport, took me under their wing that I really got involved. I’d suggest connecting with your local club, or coming out to local graded races to find new people to ride with. There are also heaps of forums and Facebook groups online that advertise group rides.

Nadezhda
How many hours per week and times per day do you train?

Maeve
I train every day, 1-3 sessions per day! This is my first year doing cycling “full time” as my job (plus university) so I’m at the track almost every day. As for hours, it’s hard to pinpoint because it depends on the phase we are in. Also track is a matter of intensity rather than volume. I might be at the track for three hours and only do three, four minute efforts but those are all max effort.

However, Monday to Friday I’ll be at the track or on the road 9am – 5pm so they are very big days.

Nadezhda
Do you spend time in the gym?

Maeve
Yep! Gym is a really integral part of my program, particularly now that women are pushing such big gears in the team’s pursuit. You really need good lean muscle mass in order to put out the necessary power.

Nadezhda
What does Maeve’s typical day look like?

Maeve
A typical day would be: wake up, have a coffee and ride to the track for about 8am. I’ll then build my track bike and I’ll do a track warm up, followed by some Teams Pursuit efforts. Track will finish at about midday and I’ll have a short break for lunch, then I’ll either have a second track session, a gym session or a 2-3hr road ride in the afternoon. Sometimes we will do two track sessions then ride to a crit race and race that night! Those are hard days. I’m at law school so in the evening I might go to a night time university seminar or work on an assignment.

Nadezhda
What has been your highest point off the bike?

Maeve
What a good question! I like to think I live a pretty good life out of cycling, so I don’t think I can really pinpoint an exact time or place. I do love it when I can travel in my time off! My boyfriend and I have had some pretty cool adventures in the van, exploring some beautiful spots in Australia. Last year we drove along the Queensland coast, visiting some amazing secluded waterfalls and beaches as well as diving with turtles. We also did the Flinders Ranges, where we brought the mountain bikes to ride the trails and then camped under the stars with the most amazing view at night. We take the van along the SA coast on weekends for shorter trips too — we are blessed with some amazing beaches at our doorstep. I only got two weeks holiday this year (due to my wrist), which I spent backpacking around Bali both solo and with my friends. We got some good waves, stayed at some insanely beautiful locations and had some crazy times that I’ll definitely remember.

Click here to read Maeve’s blog

Maeve Plouffe – Catching Up

Maeve Plouffe

Maeve – Pedal North Interview

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