The man known as “Spartacus” throughout the Cycling world is missing his mojo. For a man who has been a Time Trial World Champion and a Grand Tour Stage winner, he seems to share the same confidence as a man trying online dating for the first time instead of a highly decorated athlete. It has been a bumpy road and Fabian Cancellara knows it.
During a test run of the time trial for the Tour de Suisse, he suffered a huge setback when he crashed. Tough for any athlete to overcome, he did not hide his worries.
“I thought I could come into Suisse with good form, but now my form is a question mark. We’ll see how the week goes. Since the crash, I couldn’t follow my training plan.”
But, maybe that is why he is endearing to his fans. In a sport filled with critics, honesty is a welcome change of pace. Cancellara continued to wear his heart on his sleeves.
“I lost a bit mentally from this crash as well as training-wise. I think I will have to race smart to make up for whatever I don’t have with my engine.”
But, a champion always looks at the bigger picture and realizes the steps to achieve glory again. His eyes are on the world championships at the end of the cycling season. It is the internal struggle to keep focus that seems to plague the Swiss star.
“At my age, I need racing to keep up my level and to keep me engaged mentally. I want to keep up my little fire inside until the end of the year.”
And we hope he will find a way to fuel his fire. Will the Tour de Suisse be the mental “Viagra” Cancellara needs to carry him on to the end of the season? Or has the crash punctured his confidence too deeply for him to recover?
Photo credit: Chris Tank
Last Updated on April 29, 2023
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