Anne-Caroline Chausson - Interview

When we talk about legends in our sport, there is one name that should be held above all others. Only one athlete in any cycling discipline has ever taken eighteen world titles. Add in an Olympic gold medal and you have the most impressive racing palmaires on two wheels. That racer is Anne-Caroline Chausson. Yet in this last year, she has faced her greatest challenge, a challenge that has likely darkened the lives of most of the people reading this in one way or another. At the start of the 2015 EWS season something felt wrong, she couldn't recover from races, the energy was just not there. After pulling out halfway through the Samoens round she went straight to her doctor and was given that most terrifying of all diagnoses: cancer.

The cancer was ovarian, it started out in the winter of 2015, Anne was suffering from periods of serious fatigue and painful stomach aches, she noticed she wasn't able to recover quite as quickly. During this time Anne was still racing, winning races, including the EWS in New Zealand. After multiple tests and scans, the results came through, Anne was told the tumor had to be removed. The seriousness of the illness only presented itself during the first operation, which led to another operation. A few more complications along the way including a collapsed lung (another operation). After a few months of chemo finishing in late January, everything that could have been affected by the bad cells had been removed.

Fortunately, Anne-Caroline Chausson is tough, and a little less than a year after her initial diagnosis she is making her return to racing this weekend at the French Cup in Millau. We caught up with her to find out a little bit more from her and how she has been getting along.


It's been a tough year for you. How have you been getting on in the last few weeks and months?

It's been a really long year, but, I feel really good now. I'm back, although I'm not really training because I must take every day as it comes. If I can ride I go riding. If I feel tired I just rest. I'm not in good shape like a real sports girl, but I feel good and I can ride more and more. So I will try to finish this round of the French cup in Millau.


Is the recovery itself is going OK? Are you're able to do a lot of things now, or are you still struggling?

All the results, all the examinations are okay now. I just need to get out all the leftover medicines and things the doctor gave me during the winter. It just takes a lot of time to be clean from all the medicines. But yeah, I feel good. So I know everything is okay. For now, I just have to deal with no training for a long time. I feel like a beginner. My skill is coming back a little bit, I'm not as quick as I was hoping, but I feel more confident on the bike and I just need more time. I'm not really able to ride full gas, all day long, even if there is no pedalling. I need to keep some energy to just be able to ride.




Is that due to not training? Or is that still part of the illness?

It's probably both things. I don't know, but the doctor told me that for regular people it takes around one year to feel like before, so hopefully with more training and more time I will recover completely.


So your training is very limited at the minute?

Yeah, I can't really train. I just improvise day by day. If I feel good I go riding if I don't I just stay home and rest, but I can do more and more things, so I'm happy with that.



And what about your goals for this year and for the future in general?

For the moment I am trying to focus on this year, so I haven't got a racing goal. As you can imagine there are more important things. I just want to get back in shape, and just the goal to be able to finish an EWS, it's what I have in my mind. I have no idea if I will be able to do it. I'm here and I'm going to Whistler, I hope I will be able to finish Whistler, but I have no idea what I'm able to do. I'm also cautious, I don't want to push my body too hard. If I feel the race is too much I will, maybe not finish the race.


So you're just taking it step by step. Would you say you're trying to get back to racing how you were?

No, not really. But, I mean, I'd like that if it was possible, but everything is going in the right direction, but it's going slow, but whatever. I'm happy with that, I mean, if I can just live without any problems, that is just what I wish. But if I can go fast on the bike it would be good. If I can't it won't be a problem. I've done enough racing for the moment. So I'm happy.


It was a year ago, this race that you came here and won, and that was your last race?

Yeah, exactly this was my last enduro race.


Was it a goal to get back for this race?

I like this race. It was not really a goal to come to this race, but it's a good race. I know even if I am not able to race, there are many other activities to do or other sports to watch, it's a really good event. It's like going to Whistler, you know you will never be disappointed going there.


Has the illness changed your view on life in general or your mindset towards a lot of things?

When you have to go through such a big thing in your life. You're changing. I had plenty of time to think about my life, and how I was living it. For sure I'm different now. And maybe I'm stronger. The good thing is I really appreciate life more. It's not something you have, it's something you build and it's the same for happiness. I have got so many good things in my life. I was sometimes like a little kid who had everything they want. And now I really appreciate more, all I have, yeah I feel happier than ever, and hopefully, it will stay like that.


That's good to hear. Where do you see the future for yourself?

I don't want to announce anything, but for people who know me, most of them know that for two years now I have wanted to stop racing. I just kept racing because it was an easy way to do the things, I knew what to do. I want to announce I am going to stop racing next year, maybe I will do a few little events, but that's not what I want anymore, and there are plenty of other things to do. And hopefully, I can stay in the mountain bike world. Because that's what I like, and that's what I know the most.

So hopefully all my experience and all my love for this sport I will be able to share it with people. In a different way.



We would like to wish Anne-Caroline all the best in her recovery, and her future endeavours in the sport.

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Interviews Anne Caroline Chausson