Annabel Fisher

How did you get involved with Café du Cycliste and the team?
I met a girl at the shop-café in Nice and we got on really well, a few months later I got a phone call, and it’s her, and she says ‘Annabel, you were unforgettable,’ (whether that’s good or bad) ‘we are creating a Gravel team and I think you would be the perfect fit.’ And the rest is history.

Best memory from the 2022 season?
There were lots! Strangely the Monsterrato, I had mechanicals and it was a bad race for me…But the support I got on those few days from the crew and team around me were so warm and supportive. It really felt like a family.

What are your goals for the 23 season?
I’d like to defend my wins from last season at the Traka and The Rift. And also we’re going to Africa. I’ve done stage races before but never done stage races where you have to sleep in a tent. Usually, it’s back to a hotel for a hot shower and a massage, it’s very civilised. I’d really like to survive that experience. I’d also like to win the Octopus, as that course really suits me, you climb and descend, you climb and descend, it was made for me.

How do you prepare and train in winter?
During winter I’m very much off the bike. Travelling a lot during the season takes a lot of energy mentally. The winter allows you to step away from that. So I cross country ski to give me a total break. It’s great training for the entire body.

What advice might you have for women getting into gravel riding?
How I did it, I knew deep down I had the capacity to be better within my own world, not comparing myself to anyone else.

And how about the evolution of women’s racing?
I’d like to see female racers being paid a professional wage. So they can do it full time without worrying about not earning enough and so having to work in the evenings or between training and racing.

Any messages for Annabel from Annabel this season?
I’d like to say to myself - on a physical level - ‘well done, no broken bones’. And on a more experiential level, ‘well done, you gave it everything, no regrets.’