After 9 months away from racing a protracted stint off the bike, American professional Veronica Ewers made a quiet however vital return to racing final month, pinning on a quantity for the primary time after getting into restoration for RED-S and an consuming dysfunction.
Last June, after hitting what she now calls “all-time low”, the EF Education-Oatly racer and her group introduced that she would take the remainder of 2024 to concentrate on her psychological and bodily well being. Until just lately, she hadn’t raced because the US Nationals final May.
Just a couple of months in the past, the prospect of the 30-year-old racing the early-season races or the spring Classics appeared a no-go – she solely bought again on the bike in November, and began coaching correctly in January. An preliminary return date was set for May, however the alternative to be on a begin line once more got here up sooner.
“We had a camp in November, and at that time the group was saying I possible wouldn’t race till May of this yr,” Ewers defined to Cyclingnews on Tuesday.
“I used to be a bit dissatisfied at first, as a result of I did assume I used to be able to race, and I mentioned I’d actually wish to race earlier than May. At that time, in November or December of final yr, they mentioned ‘We perceive, let’s take it week by week, month by month, see how issues are’ and so I simply labored with my coach, trying forward and attempting to progress as a lot as I may.
“With my day off and thru my restoration, I actually progressed so much and higher than perhaps the group anticipated when it got here to my psychological well being and bodily well being as effectively. So then, come our January camp, they gave me the chance to start out racing in March, however then simply earlier than our most up-to-date group camp in February, they mentioned they wished me to race Almeria.”
Neither Ewers nor her group knew precisely how she would fare returning to the European peloton, however that first take a look at on the Clásica de Almeria in Spain was constructive.
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“I had a number of anxiousness going into the primary race, simply because I’ve not been within the bunch since May of final yr, so I used to be fairly nervous to be within the bunch,“ she defined.
“But I used to be pleasantly shocked with how I felt. I did not really feel as nervous and I did not really feel I used to be as skittish as I believed I might be. I’m at a spot mentally the place I’m giving myself somewhat bit extra grace by races, so it has been actually good, after which additionally simply being with the group at races and in that atmosphere has been actually enjoyable. I did miss that.”
Then, per week later, Ewers discovered herself a late addition to the group’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad squad – extra of a baptism of fireside for the small rider who had by no means ridden the Opening Weekend Classic earlier than.
“The race was on Saturday and I used to be advised on Wednesday that I might be doing it,” she recalled. “I used to be fairly nervous, as a result of I do know Opening Weekend could be very chaotic and it is a large deal. Initially I used to be a bit upset that I used to be getting the last-minute name, as a result of it is such a chaotic race.
“But like I mentioned, I used to be given a task, I did not essentially fulfil that position however I used to be in a position to take it as a studying alternative and be within the bunch once more and actually study from my errors, as a result of it’s a race the place it’s worthwhile to be extraordinarily targeted and be in the fitting place on the proper time to preserve vitality.
“I’ve by no means skilled Opening Weekend earlier than, so simply the environment was fairly unbelievable. I’d solely seen it from afar the previous few years, so being on the station for signal on and whatnot – that was a extremely cool expertise. Then after all, going up the Muur with all of the folks round was unbelievable.”
The highway to restoration
Being in a position to experience up the Muur van Geraardsbergen within the WorldTour peloton is one thing that has solely been potential for Ewers after a protracted, cautious restoration from a longstanding consuming dysfunction.
RED-S, or relative vitality deficiency in sport, is a situation that stems from hormone imbalances usually brought on by over-exercising or under-fueling. It’s a situation that may disproportionately have an effect on endurance athletes, however for Ewers, a former footballer and athlete for many of her life, her troublesome relationship with meals and train predated her biking profession.
With her struggles not abating in 2024, ultimately one thing snapped – Ewers hit her lowest level, but additionally the purpose that set her onto the trail of restoration.
“Ultimately, I had dangerous habits, I had an consuming dysfunction, which was impacting my hormonal well being in addition to my efficiency,” she mentioned. “I feel it is actually unlucky that so many individuals wrestle with this, and actually the one method to get better is to have some form of realisation second, a second the place your mind simply clicks and also you determine ‘I want to alter one thing and absolutely decide to recovering and enhancing’.
“I do not know what precipitated that click on second in my mind, however I used to be simply so exhausted and mentally drained and unhappy and I simply knew that issues may very well be – needs to be – so a lot better than the place I used to be.”
What that restoration has regarded like in observe was a number of months off the bike, little or no bodily exercise of any variety – bar some lifting to mitigate the chance of osteoporosis from RED-S – and a number of work on her psychological well being, all with the assist from her group EF Education-Oatly.
“I used to be very fortunate to have the group supporting me and giving me the chance to take the break. They may see that I used to be clearly struggling mentally and bodily, so that they gave me that chance, however I additionally sought out assist from a therapist and a dietitian, each who specialised in consuming issues and RED-S restoration.
“I’m so lucky to have each of them in my life, and so they additionally work with the group physician and my coach, so I had that assist group with me all through the start of my restoration and up till now.
“Physically, as my hormonal well being improved, I used to be in a position to begin incorporating train extra. I feel October was once I bought on the bike once more, and I used to be doing eight hours [per week] to start out, after which perhaps November was the primary time I bought again into double digit hours. Then come January was actually the beginning of once I was getting again into correct coaching.”
It was solely being away from sport that allowed Ewers to actually mirror on how unwell she had turn out to be.
“It was a great chunk of day off the bike, and a number of time to simply get better. I feel it made me simply recognise how deep right into a gap I had put myself. I really feel actually fortunate that I had that click on second, and that I had a group round me, each my biking group and my assist group, who gave me the chance and the assistance to climb out of that gap.”
Amongst the exhausting work, Ewers additionally mirrored on all of the positives of a break from being an athlete – attending to journey Europe, discovering small hobbies and comforts, reconnecting with the concept of ‘residence’ after a nomadic way of life.
Speaking to Ewers, it is clear that specializing in her happiness has been as a lot of a software to returning to racing as her bodily restoration.
A clear slate in 2025
What 2025 will appear to be for Ewers is just not but sure. Two races in, the constructive indicators are there. Her bodily and hormonal well being is way improved, her psychological state is extra balanced, however there’s nonetheless so much Ewers would not find out about herself as a rider.
Perhaps extra so than different disciplines, highway biking is a sport the place weight and meals can turn out to be very managed, and so the chance of falling into dangerous habits when returning to the game is at all times potential.
“I had struggled for over ten years at that time, so it began earlier than I even bought into biking, however as soon as I initially bought into the biking world, it did actually heighten these points,” Ewers defined.
“But going again, I’ve my assist group round me, I’ve a number of instruments that I can use to deal with something that comes up. I’ve been on antidepressants for some time now, and I’ve positively seen the advantages of that, and I’m positive it is that on high of correctly fueling that has put me right into a headspace that’s way more relaxed.
“I positively have moments being within the biking world and with the group which can be triggering and exhausting to be round, however I’ve the folks in my life who I can go to when I’m having these troublesome moments.”
Despite some potential triggers, although, belonging to a group is in the end what drives Ewers, who has identified little else as an athlete.
“I feel simply being with the group once more,” was Ewers’ reply to what she’s most trying ahead to this yr. “I’ve been an athlete for many of my life, and I’ve been a part of a group for that whole time. So being with my teammates and in that group atmosphere is admittedly the place I discover my sense of neighborhood and that is a part of my identification.”
On a person degree, it is clear that placing the strain of results-based targets is just not what Ewers wants proper now. A break-out GC experience on the Tour de France in 2022 is what put her title on the map, however there is no set expectation of what sort of rider she’ll be this yr.
For the second, she’s set to line up on the Trofeo Alfredo Binda. Ewers will make her debut on the Italian Women’s WorldTour race on March 16.
“I’m actually excited to get again within the bunch and take this yr as a yr of discovery and see the place I’ll go and what sort of rider I could be now and simply begin with a clear slate,” she mentioned.
“I need to discover a place the place I really feel extra assured in myself as a rider. Because I do know I’ve that doubtlessly someplace, and I need to discover that potential this yr.
“Maybe that is not results-wise, perhaps it is simply discovering the small wins a bit higher inside the races and going from there. I feel that is what I need this yr – to have a glimpse into the potential that I’ve and actually discover the enjoyable once more in biking.”