Channelling emotion
With her time trialing prowess and newfound attacking instincts, wins like the Tour de France Femmes stage win are the way she is hoping to add to her tally. But channelling her emotion into speed is something she has to manage too.
“On race days, I feel everything. Anxiety, hope, happiness, fear. It doesn't matter if it’s a big or small race, quite often in a stage race I’m so emotionally done by the end. Racing is hard for me because I dig so deep into my emotions.”
This emotional energy works both ways for Norsgaard:
“It is my strength, for sure, because I can also really make myself better, but I can also bury myself deep in a big black hole. I can tell myself I’m the world’s best rider, but I can also tell myself the opposite. It can make me better, and also ruin me in so many ways.”