Alison Jackson would love to win Paris-Roubaix Femmes again: "I’d prefer to solo to the line"

Alison Jackson had her breakthrough in 2023, when the now 35-year-old lady from Canadian Alberta, a place where temperatures in winter drop below -20 degrees, surprisingly won the 3rd edition of Paris-Roubaix Femmes. Speaking to CyclingWeekly, she rewinds the day, as well as her run-up and racing in foreign teams.

"I’d always prefer to solo to the line, but I’d spoken to team-mates who are track riders about how to use a sprint to win. On the day, you just have to trust your instinct. Written on my handlebar tape was the message: 'Don’t think, just do.'"

"The form came from the previous couple of years. Even during the pandemic year when we had so few races, we were able to have a really big focus on training. I remember doing a lot of really long rides. The year after, I did a lot more high intensity, and I think that layering, the combination, built a great athlete."

Jackson races for teams from various countries in the past. "There have been some big differences. I rode for an Italian team who were old-school in their thinking; I had to draw a lot on my own resources. I’m not intensely science-minded – I train with passion and heart. What’s great now is having experts who I can leave all the number-crunching to."