{"id":206090,"date":"2026-08-20T16:17:30","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T16:17:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=206090"},"modified":"2026-08-20T16:17:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T16:17:30","slug":"melanie-bianchi-goes-toe-to-toe-with-the-letape-and-herself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2026\/08\/20\/melanie-bianchi-goes-toe-to-toe-with-the-letape-and-herself\/","title":{"rendered":"The Willpower to Start: Melanie Bianchi Goes Toe to Toe with the L\u2019\u00c9tape \u2013 and Herself"},"content":{"rendered":"

Melanie is a mountain biker and relative newcomer to road cycling \u2013 she knew that preparing for L\u2019\u00c9tape Czech Republic would test more than her stamina. For her, signing up for The Unseen Stage meant stepping beyond a long-held fear of competition. It would ask her to make space for herself, push beyond familiar limits, and discover what might be possible when she stopped holding herself back.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Now, with the challenge drawing closer, her main source of motivation is clear: the calendar. \u201cWhenever I see that number getting smaller, I think, \u2018Okay, I really have to train!\u2019\u201d she says. Each disappearing week makes the goal more tangible \u2013 and the need to keep showing up harder to ignore. There is help from the outside, too. Strava keeps her accountable, while watching the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift has given her an extra dose of inspiration. Meeting riders and hearing their experiences made the world of elite cycling feel closer and her own ambitions a little more real.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then there is the reward waiting at the end of a hard session: food. \u201cI am definitely a bit of a sweet tooth,\u201d Melanie admits. \u201cOne of the great things about training this much is that I can eat really well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But perhaps the most interesting discoveries have come from underestimating herself in the beginning. Melanie expected to find weaknesses, but instead, she has uncovered a surprising strength: sprinting. \u201cI am starting to think that I might be quite good at it,\u201d she says, still sounding slightly surprised. A discipline she once assumed would be a drawback has become evidence that our ideas about ourselves are not always accurate. The bigger battle, however, often happens before she even reaches the bike.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy mind definitely gets more in the way than my body,\u201d she says when asked about training. There are days when her brain tells her she is tired or should stay home. But once she gets moving, the resistance usually disappears. \u201cThe hardest part is often just getting myself out the door.\u201d She gradually learnt that, sometimes, potential is not unlocked by a dramatic breakthrough, but by overcoming those pauses of hesitation that come before action.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
Zobrazit p\u0159\u00edsp\u011bvek na Instagramu<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

P\u0159\u00edsp\u011bvek sd\u00edlen\u00fd \u0160koda We Love Cycling (@wlcmagazine)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n