Veronica Ewers: I'm trying to give myself a bit more grace heading into Vuelta Femenina

Veronica Ewers (EF Education-Cannondale) may not have had the start to the season she was hoping for but the American climber is building towards the Grand Tour segment of the season and is using the Vuelta Femenina as a launchpad for personal success later down the line.

The 29-year-old kick-started her season in Spain with the Setmana Valenciana but came out of the race disappointed with her form. She took a short break from action before returning to the Ardennes Classics, where a crash in La Flèche Wallonne typified her fortunes.

Those three races in Holland and Belgium, however, gave the American some vital race days before the start of the Vuelta Femenina this weekend, and Ewers is looking to maintain momentum and use the Spanish Grand Tour as a marker ahead of her debut in the Tour de Suisse and the Giro d’Italia later this year.

Ewers also hopes to return to the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, with her team still waiting on ASO to announce their wildcard selection for the French race.

“I’m getting back into the swing of things, having taken a bit of time to just train. I’m excited to be getting into the Tours," Ewers told GCN in a call this week from her base in Girona, Spain.

"With the Vuelta specifically, I’m just looking at getting some race legs back and getting into the swing of a stage race as it’s quite different from the one-day races but, as a team, it’ll be our first Grand Tour as a squad and I think we’ve got a really good squad going in."

Read more: La Vuelta Femenina 2024 – essential race preview

On paper, Ewers would be one of the protected riders for her EF Education-Cannondale team, especially given her short but successful Grand Tour career. She was fourth in the Giro last year and made the top 10 in the Tour de France the year before.

This time around, because of her patient approach to the calendar, Ewers is heading into the Vuelta with some pressure removed from her shoulders. She still wants to perform, but she is planning on using the Spanish race to hone some skills and develop her race craft in order to become a more complete rider.

“At the Vuelta, I don’t necessarily have any personal aspirations,” she said. "If the opportunity arises then I’d absolutely go for a stage but GC isn’t my goal or my role this year. Supporting riders, domestique roles, that’s not something that I’ve had much experience in so it’s really nice to have that opportunity.

"It’s not really stepping back, but more pivoting towards fulfilling a different role because I think that will make me a stronger rider all around. I’m going in with not as much pressure in terms of results and instead focusing more on the process and progress."

Pressure and grace

In an interview during the off-season, Ewers talked to GCN about the pressure she puts on herself to perform. Being an elite athlete isn’t an easy life, even at the best of times. Ewers has been open about that in the past, especially when it comes to self-criticism if results don’t go exactly as planned.

“It’s something to look back on and I’m really working on coming out of each race more positively,” she said when asked about her first racing outings of the season.

“I’ve put a lot of pressure on myself as an athlete, and it’s about trying to give myself a bit more grace in each scenario. And it’s about knowing that it’s a sport with a lot of downs but there can be some ups to it. I’m just getting through after not hitting my expectations but looking forward.”

© Getty Images

Veronica Ewers at the 2022 Tour de France Femmes

The American drew inspiration from Kasia Niewiadoma, who went several years without a road win before winning La Flèche Wallonne last week. 

“Looking at how resilient Kasia has been over so many years to get that win, and then finally get it at Flèche was incredible and I think that it shows a lot of determination that I hope to put into the sport," Ewers said.

"I have to remind myself too that it’s only my third year as a professional cyclist and so I’m still not the most experienced. I’m just continuing to learn and go through those ups and downs."

There is so much racing still to come. Demi Vollering, the defending Tour de France Femmes champion, would end the season on zero wins if the curtain came down today. There are plenty of opportunities for her and Ewers to score victories in a calendar of racing that lasts deep into the Autumn. The start of the season may not have been perfect for Ewers, but there are still three Grand Tours to go and plenty of chances to shine.

“That’s something else to remind myself of. It’s a long season and a previous director of mine would say ‘if you have one successful race, that’s how people will remember you’, so there are a lot more races to find that success,” she said.

Visit our library of rider interviews.