Marta Cavalli targets Tourmalet stage win at Tour de France Femmes

Marta Cavalli (FDJ-SUEZ) was another crash victim of the 2022 Tour de France Femmes, having to abandon the race on stage 2. 

The injuries she sustained had a serious impact on her, and she talked exclusively to Cyclingnews about the recovery process ahead of starting the 2023 edition. The Italian climber has been trying to save energy in the first six stages of the race with a very specific goal in mind. 9:02 minutes behind the yellow jersey, Cavalli is concentrating on the stage victory today – and if she pulls it off, there may be a special treat waiting for her.

“I will go for the stage win. I don't think about the GC anymore because I lost a lot of time just to try to save energy, now we will see. The legs will talk, the riders that will be in front will do the race. We have had this stage in mind for a long time. My season until now wasn’t great, but we are sure about one thing, I can be good in a long steady effort like a big, big climb,” Cavalli was unequivocal about her goals.

Trying to win the Tour de France Femmes queen stage is anything but straightforward, but the 25-year-old thinks that she can put in the effort required.

“Of course, all the yellow jersey contenders will climb really, really fast, but I would also like to do a good performance just to understand my shape. I'm looking forward to it, it is my one chance to go for a good stage. It will be a long, long climb, around 55 minutes of strong effort, but I know it’s something that suits me,” Cavalli said.

Ahead of the race, FDJ-SUEZ scouted out the Pyrénées stage and soaked in the atmosphere of the iconic Tourmalet climb that has featured in the men’s Tour de France countless times.

“We did a recon, and I saw the big monument at the top. Our bus driver lives near here, he told me that he climbed Tourmalet once every week when he was a cyclist. It’s something really special for him, he gave me this magical feeling. I really like it, this kind of climb means a lot for cycling and it will be very emotional to climb it on the most important stage of the race,” Cavalli looks forward to treading on what is, for all intents and purposes, hallowed ground in cycling.

Crostata for the stage winner

After crashing out of the 2022 race, Cavalli stayed with her team for two more days because the team wanted to understand her injuries better before letting her go home to start recovering. In this period, Cavalli helped out the team staff, especially enjoying work in the kitchen.

“It was nice for me to think about other things. I really like to stay in the kitchen, and it was a good way for me to spend the day doing something interesting, helping the chef, enjoying the race and staying in the team’s atmosphere.”

Cavalli’s culinary skills came in very handy as FDJ-SUEZ could celebrate Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig's stage 3 victory with a homemade crostata.

“It’s a typical Italian dessert. We tried to make a healthy version because the energy intake during the Tour is really high, and the girls needed more energy to put on the pedals. We made the cake just to bring some pleasure to the food, but in the end, when Cecilie won the stage, it was also the best way to celebrate her victory,” Cavalli reminisced.

Time will tell if Cavalli gets to enjoy crostata or another delicious dessert tonight as a reward for her climbing skills.