Ashley Moolman Pacio (AG Insurance - Suredal), who has not raced since falling and fracturing her T10 vertebrae at the Volta a Catalunya Femenina in early June, will once again wear the number.

After the injury, his return to the important August races, the 158-km Olympic women's road race on Sunday, August 4, and the eight-stage Tour de France Femme on August 12-18, were always his goal and key motivation Sunday, August 4, She achieved this goal by being named to the South African start list for the road race, which will begin in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. In a statement to the media from her AG Insurance Soudal, "Of course, it took a lot of discipline to find the right balance between training to be well prepared and overtraining to delay recovery," said Mourman Pacio. This meant I had to focus entirely on training and rest." [Fortunately, the recovery process was smooth, with no setbacks, and I was able to make progress each day and each week. I'm in good shape now, training at altitude and doing my normal preparations."

The experienced 38-year-old rider will be competing in her fourth Paris Olympics as part of the South African national team, which consists of 23-year-old Tiffany Keep and two other riders. with 1,700 meters of ascent, the Paris course has been compared to the Giro d'Italia's Monte Matadour and Monte Zoncolan, but she is back and looking to make the most of her opportunities.

"The only thing I'm missing this year is the rhythm of the race, but I'm mentally prepared," said Mourman Pacio.

"Sometimes it helps to be thankful to be back on the start line, and doing so gives me the freedom to take risks and enjoy the process. [7th in the Amstel Gold Race and 5th in La Flèche Wallonne Femme.

"I was unable to race this year for a variety of reasons. Despite these obstacles, my off-season preparation went very well, with smooth training and high motivation." I gained a strong foundation and confidence in the face of these challenges."

The road has not been an easy one, as these obstacles have continued, but Ryder says he has been able to rely on his experience and maturity as an athlete to get through them with a positive and optimistic outlook.

"There were times when I doubted if I would be able to participate in the upcoming races, but the anticipation of racing gave me the motivation to persevere during my recovery," said Mourman Pacio. I am very much looking forward to getting back to the start line, enjoying every race, and giving it my best."

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