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Emma Pooley takes time to chat after winning Montreal 

Emma Pooley is the powerful British rider who dominated the Montreal World Cup yesterday. She took time out to chat to WCN.  

WCN: Montreal , what was going through your mind as you completed the race and you were not being caught?

EP: "Well, I couldn't really count on not being caught until the finish line. I was trying to distract myself from worrying about it (and the pain in my legs) by singing to myself. Not out loud! In the final 200m or so, when I was pretty sure nothing could go wrong (!) I was just happy."

WCN: The win is exciting, but was there a level of disappointment that you were out on your own for so long?

EP: 'No, I don't think I can be disappointed: I had to work hard to earn the win because there were teams chasing behind- it's not like they just let me ride off and take it easily. In some respects being solo is easier than in a small group because you know exactly how much you can give, you don't have to worry about one of your breakaway companions only working 90% and saving themselves to attack you later in the race. And I wasn't really on my own because Manel [Team Director] was in the car behind talking me through it, and I knew my team mates were behind covering the moves and ready to counter-attack if I got caught. The only down side really is it does get a bit lonely over 3 hours!"

WCN:How difficult was the transition from Europe to Canada ?

EP: "On Thursday the combination of jetlag and a 10-day stage race in the legs was pretty knackering. We had a couple of days to recover though."  

Season so far;

WCN:The last 12 months have seen tremendous change for you, what were your low and high points?

EP: "Low points... the Tour de l'Aude 2008, going back to work after the end of the 2008 season (not that I don't enjoy my PhD, but the transition was difficult), and crashing in Flêche Wallonne this year."

"High points...  last year's Tour de Bretagne, the Beijing time trial (once it was over!), Nicole winning in Varese , the 25th October last year, Kristin's win at the Bern world cup, Claudia's win at Aude, and today of course. On balance I think the high points outweigh the low ones!"

WCN: Do you feel you have an advantage at the World Championships [if selected ] given Switzerland is your home base this year?

EP: "Not really. I think most national teams have the opportunity to go and check the course out in advance and I don't live particularly close so it's not like I can train on it regularly. In fact I haven't even looked at the course yet! I suppose it does add an incentive to do well, and it means I might have some friends out supporting, but of course everyone wants to do well at the world championships anyway."

WCN: Who of the British riders coming through are standing out for you?

EP: "There are so many talented young riders from GB. Lizzy Armitstead had an outstanding race at Tour de l'Aude (she won the young riders' jersey) but I was impressed with all the riders from the National team who were there, to get through a race as tough as that in (mostly) their first senior year of racing is quite something. Jess Allen is a really good rider too I think and one to watch for the future."

WCN:What have been the most challenging aspects of your life over the last 12 months?

EP: "I found all the post-Olympics attention quite difficult to deal with. It was still mid-season and I was trying to work in my "spare" time too so I just didn't have the time to agree to any of the requests for appearances, which made me feel bad because a lot of them were charities. It probably would have been helpful to have an agent but I didn't realise that until it was too late! Fortunately most of that has gone away now."  

WCN: Are you still studying? If yes how long left, if no are you glad it is over?

EP: "Yes, I'm at the data-analysis and writing-up stage of my PhD. I hope to hand my thesis in by the end of the year. I expect it'll take a while after that to get the corrections done and pass the exam."

WCN would like to thank Emma for taking the time to chat to us. We wish her luck for the Tour du Montreal this week and the rest of the season.

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