Sherbrooke, Que.\u2019s Magdeleine Valli\u00e8res Mill is heading into the defence of her world title with a new piece of equipment that is pretty darn Canadian.<\/p>\n
The EF Education Oatly rider has worked with POC on a limited-edition version of the Cytal helmet, with the design drawing on her roots.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve just arrived back from Jupiter, Valli\u00e8res Mill became Canada\u2019s first-ever elite road race world champion when she won solo in Kigali last September. The helmet design incorporates a fleur-de-lis and maple leaf, along with references to corn and Canadian maple syrup. It also carries Valli\u00e8res Mill\u2019s racing mantra: \u201cfull commitment, no regrets.\u201d (Also, if you didn\u2019t know, Valli\u00e8res Mill loves corn. Like, a lot. She eats it whenever she can.)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Speaking of food, check out her maple toffee recipe that she has perfected with her grandmother<\/a>.<\/p>\n MVM on the helmet<\/p>\n \u201cBeing able to ride this year as the world champion, and represent the rainbow jersey is such a privilege and high point in my career so far,\u201d Valli\u00e8res Mill said. \u201cBut getting to this point is all based on where I have come from. When POC and I started creating a helmet design together, I knew immediately that I wanted my Canadian roots to shine through. The food, the people, the heritage have all played a role in forging the person and racer I am today.\u201d<\/p>\n The special edition POC Cytal<\/p>\n The helmet uses POC\u2019s Cytal platform, including its Mips Air Node system, adjustable fit system and ventilation-focused design. It has also received a five-star rating from Virginia Tech. It\u2019s available in sizes, Small (50\u201356), Medium (54\u201359) and Large (56\u201361).<\/p>\n Now Valli\u00e8res Mill gets to defend her title on home roads. The 2026 world championships return to Montreal for the first time in 52 years, giving the 25-year-old a very different role from the one she had in Kigali.<\/p>\n Last year, she surprised the world (but not her teammates, or followers of Canadian Cycling Magazine!)<\/p>\n Magdeleine Valli\u00e8res world title shocked cycling, but not her Canadian teammates<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n This time, everyone will be watching her. She did say that last year she was an underdog\u2013and that will be very different in Montreal. But she\u2019s stoked for the incredible opportunity of defending the rainbow jersey on roads just an hour and a half from home.<\/p>\n Plus, she\u2019s even raced the course as a youngster at the Jeux du Qu\u00e9bec. \u201cI am really trying to take it more as energy than pressure. I just want to go with it. I feel a lot more excitement than pressure right now,\u201d she said to Canadian Cycling Magazine.<\/a><\/p>\n Magdeleine Valli\u00e8res Mill special edition POC Cytal helmet, $470<\/p>\n