As we experience the last emotions of this road cycling season, it is never too late for us to vibrate alongside the Grand Est Komugi La Fabrique team. A first year in the professional peloton full of promise for the future. Both for our partner team and for the athlete we'll be talking about today! It's time for a new episode to discover more about the architects of this success, today we take the wheel of the Frenchie Victoire Joncheray.
With the emergence of new women's teams in the professional world, such as the Grand-Est Komugi La Fabrique team, this is the perfect opportunity to make bets. And thus, to throw talented athletes into the deep end who might not have had this chance without this new momentum. This is the case, for example, for Victoire Joncheray who discovered the pro peloton at the age of 28 after great performances in the amateur world. Inevitably, going from art director in web design to high-level cyclist changes her schedule considerably! This Swiss Army knife, originally from Annecy and now living in Lyon, looks back on this passage:
« It's true that cycling came into my life a bit late, only four years ago. I could never have imagined the life I lead today. I have always prioritized my studies, and after obtaining my Master's degree, I worked in an agency in Lyon as an Art Director in Web design. I quit my job on a permanent contract last year. Balancing 35 hours of work and cycling was impossible. I'd already created my freelance status a while ago, and I thought it was the perfect choice. From now on, it's the bike that adapts to my work, and not the other way around. Of course, in the middle of the season, my productivity as a freelancer can be compromised, but my clients understand my project.
I made rapid progress in road cycling, moving from N2 to N1 and then to Conti. Everything happens very quickly, and every new experience is a challenge, but I never have time to worry. I enjoy every moment by giving the best of myself. At the beginning, you get a little hit, especially in terms of the pace and sequence of races, which is why it is essential to surround yourself with support and to take real moments of rest between the blocks of competition. »
With serenity, this is also one of the advantages of starting this adventure in a human-sized structure that is also discovering this level. Both on a human and sporting level, this arrival in his new family was a success, as Victoire testifies:
"Within the team, I only remember positives. I learned a lot about myself and others during this season. Cycling is profoundly human, and victory is built as a team. I'm happy to have done my first year as a pro, in a team that was also starting at the Conti level. Their approach is modern, they try to do the best they can just like us. It's a real team effort between the rider and the staff.
On a human level, the balance sheet is more than full, it's still a hell of a team adventure, cycling, I'm very happy to share all this with my teammates. I also learned a lot about my own limitations, especially when dealing with overtraining at the beginning of the season. Luckily, I'm well surrounded, and this experience was an additional lesson. »
With his attacking temperament, it took some time to adapt to deploy the extent of his talent in competitions. But not enough to sound the alarm, far from it. After a first half of the season supporting the team's in-form riders, Victoire successfully seized her chance in the women's Giro Toscana. By getting two nice top 10 finishes on the hilly stages and a nice twelfth place overall. She comes from mountain biking, this type of event "often chaotic" with a lot of movement and challenging courses offered him a suitable playground.
Now it's time for 2024 with the desire to always do better and continue to grow in the best way possible with this year's learnings: "I learned a lot, especially about the need to take mental rest, between races and training. I feel like I still have a lot of room for improvement, but with my coach, we take the time not to skip steps".
Our partners are talented and they deserve to be highlighted!
Thanks to Victoire Joncheray member of the Grand-Est Komugi La Fabrique group for the time granted as well as to Juliette Landon and Billy Ceusters for the photo credits.
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