About surprising World Cup victory: Interview with Magdeleine Vallières
TOUR
· 16.01.2026
Interview: Stephan Klemm
TOUR: After your coup at the World Championships in Rwanda at the end of September, there was stunned amazement in your Canadian box. They also seemed completely stunned that you had made it to the finish line first. Have you now realised that you are the world champion?
Magdeleine Vallières: To be honest, I'm still shocked. I achieved something really special. I first really realised that I was actually world champion in the two races that I completed after the title fights. Because I wore the jersey with the rainbow colours at the Giro dell'Emilia and Tre Valle Varesine. That's when I realised: I'm now world champion and will be seen as such by my colleagues.
Would you yourself have believed that you would be able to prevail on the extremely difficult course in Rwanda?
Magdeleine Vallières: Rather not. However, I knew that I was in the form of my life. I felt that it could pay off if I took a risk in the race. But my goal was a top ten finish. Victory was a distant illusion for me. I am particularly grateful to my team-mates. They were very attentive and dropped me in the right group.
How did you behave in this group?
Magdeleine Vallières: I initially remained patient and saved as much energy as necessary in the first half of the race. Three laps before the end, I started to keep a closer eye on who was preparing attacks. Finally, the decisive group of ten riders had formed and I made it into it. At some point, however, not all of the breakaway riders were cooperating. I encouraged them to keep going because I felt that we had a chance. The finish was getting closer, the decision was approaching - and I really gave it my all, so that after one of my attacks there were only three of us left, Niamh Fisher-Black, Mavi Garcia and myself. I then managed to leave them behind on the final climb. I had a phrase from my coach in my ear: "Ride in such a way that you don't have to regret anything afterwards."
How did you perceive the title fights in Rwanda?
Magdeleine Vallières: I was overwhelmed by the welcome we received in Rwanda. And during the race there was an extraordinary atmosphere with an incredible number of spectators, many of them dancing with joy to the loud music at the side of the road. They were actually dancing the whole time during the race. It was phenomenal.
A milestone in Canadian cycling
The Quebec newspaper "La Presse" wrote after your success that you had pulled off one of the biggest surprises in Quebec sport of all time and in all disciplines. Do you agree?
Magdeleine Vallières: It is the first time that a Canadian woman has won a World Championship title. A Canadian has never done it before. In this respect, my World Championship victory really is a milestone in the history of Canadian cycling. That's why the newspaper's assessment is correct.
You finished the Giro dell'Emilia and the Tre Valle Varesine race in seventh and tenth place shortly after the World Championships, which are top placings. Did you sense during the races that you suddenly had a different status in the peloton?
Magdeleine Vallières: Definitely. It starts with the presentation on the registration stage and continues in the race - it felt like all eyes were on me. I'm also one of the most conspicuous riders with my rainbow jersey. That was quite a leap and difficult for me to understand because I'm usually a helper in my team EF Education-Oatly - especially for the French rider Cédrine Kerbaol. After the World Championships, however, I could already feel that my role in the team and in the races had changed. My placings also speak in favour of this. I'm very excited to see how my career continues.
How did your career start?
Magdeleine Vallières: I started cycling thanks to my father. I was nine years old when we went on a bike tour to a destination 1,000 kilometres away. I only had a small amount of luggage with me, my father loaded the rest onto his bike and then we set off. It was amazing and got me hooked. Since then, I have been passionate about cycling. I first rode mountain bikes, then cyclo-cross races, a bit of BMX and finally I switched to road cycling. That was at the end of my school years. Before joining my current team, I also rode for the WCC team of the World Cycling Centre from 2020 to 2021, which is based in Aigle, Switzerland, in the buildings of the UCI.
Is cycling a popular discipline in Canada?
Magdeleine Vallières: Not really. But the number of people who are interested in it is growing steadily. Cycling is a small sport in Canada, not comparable to the status it has in Europe. It's also very difficult to practise the sport all year round in Canada because the winters are still hard and snowy. Nevertheless, I very much hope that my World Championship victory will encourage more people in Canada to believe in themselves, to realise what is possible in this country in terms of cycling. I myself have been living in Europe for six years now. One of my bases here is Andorra. All my friends are here, we have a great training group together. I probably won't be back in Canada until next June for the national championships.
Next year, Canada will be at the centre of the cycling world for a week at the end of September. The world cycling organisation UCI has awarded the world championships to Montréal, where they were last held in 1974. What do you expect from these championships?
Magdeleine Vallières: I'm from Sherbrooke, which is in southern Quebec and only a two-hour drive from Montreal. So for me it's a home world championship in two respects. I hope that this World Championships will give a boost to cycling in Canada. I will act as an ambassador for these World Championships. I assume that it will be a big cycling festival with lots of spectators. The World Championships will be a huge thing for the young athletes from Canada, who will be able to observe and study how professional cycling works up close. Montreal is definitely very well prepared and in an excellent position to host these World Championships. The scenery will also be great, as the Indian summer begins during the World Championships.
Alongside you, your compatriot Isabella Holmgren has also recently advanced to the top of the world rankings. She won the Tour de l'Avenir. What can we expect from her?
Magdeleine Vallières: She is one of the best in the world, which is great to see and also encourages me. She is a great climber.
Close collaboration with nutritionists
Isabelle Holmgren looks very slim. There was a debate on this topic about Tour winner Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, who visibly reduced her weight for her Tour start. Is this step necessary in order to keep up?
Magdeleine Vallières: Weight does play a role. I work closely with the nutritionists in my team. In my opinion, this ensures that I eat healthily and have a healthy weight. This is another way to achieve top performance, which is ultimately what I stand for with my World Championship victory.
Goals for the 2026 season
You finished 18th overall in the Tour de France in the summer of 2025. Will you be able to ride there for yourself in 2026 as captain of your team?
Magdeleine Vallières: First of all, I'm pretty sure that I'll be at the Tour if I'm injury-free. Our team will start there with big goals. The Tour is also the biggest cycling race of the season for us women. However, I haven't yet had a leading role in a Tour. I still have a lot of work to do to grow into such a role. In 2025, I was deployed as a helper for Cédrine Kerbaol. I never rode for myself, so 18th place in the overall standings is not a relevant result.
What goals have you set yourself for the future?
Magdeleine Vallières: My favourite races are the Ardennes Classics in the spring. They are also my primary goal for 2026. I already finished 14th in the Flèche Wallonne in April 2024. My dream is to win one or more of these races one day. If I can perform there, I'll certainly set my sights on a grand tour.
About Magdeleine Vallières
Magdeleine Vallières, born on 10 August 2001 in Sherbrooke, Canada, in the province of Quebec, has been a professional since 2022 and has been riding for the team currently known as Education-Oatly ever since. In 2019, she won the title of Canadian junior champion on the road and in the individual time trial. In January 2024 she won the Trofeo Palma Femina and in September 2025 the title of Road World Champion.
