Interview Addison Frank

You grow up in North America, start to ride bikes, but have to cross the Atlantic to make a carreer. It's a big commitment that Addison Frank has made. The now 18 years old Canadian is already collecting top 10 spots on the elite level. In La Picto - Charentaise, she has even  finished in between riders who already delivered big results on the WWT, including the Tour de France. The young puncheur might become one of the new familiar faces on the Canadian cycling scene. In this interview she tells you about the learning  process that she's going through and how skiing boosted her capabilities in cycling as well.

After a strong junior year, you already almost finished in the top 10 of an elite UCI race, this year. How are you looking back at this season so far?

So far, I’m pretty happy with how this season is going. I’ve learned a lot and made many improvements since the beginning of the season. The racing has been really fun for me because I learn something new from every race.

You did well on hilly terrain. Would you like to specialize further on this terrain or target other races as well?

I really like competing on hilly terrain with some short/punchy climbs. Climbs between 1-3km are usually the best for me. However, it’s hard to say right now what I would like to specialize in. I consider myself to be an all rounder/puncheur and I love racing on a bunch of different types of courses. I definitely would like to increase my climbing endurance as I get older in order to target different types of races as I progress.

How did you discover the sport?

Mountain biking is pretty big in my family so I grew up around the more off road side of the sport and was terrified to even watch a road race on TV. However I started road cycling when my grandfather gifted me my first road bike at age 16. I did my first races later that year.

How does it feel to race far from home for most of the season?

It’s definitely hard to be away from home for so long but I’ve gotten used to the dynamic of living, training and racing away from home. I’m very grateful to have an incredible teammate/roommate, Jazmine Lavergne, and the amazing support of the UVCA Troyes staff who have made the change easy and comfortable.

Who is your idol in the sport?

Lotte Kopecky

You have a background in skiing. What did you enjoy the most about this sport? and do you still like to practise it in the off season?

I was on cross country skis as soon as I could walk. My parents never pushed it as something I needed to compete in and win, but more as a lifelong activity to do to stay healthy and have fun. Because of this, I was able to develop a very healthy relationship with skiing, and sports in general. I loved that although my parents are my biggest supporters, there was never any pressure from them to compete and therefore I knew what I was doing was pushed by my own drive and competitiveness. It really kept me engaged and focused in the sport. I also really enjoyed how hard it was. The technical aspect was my favourite, but I also loved challenging interval sessions. Skiing gave me a strong base which made it easy to fully jump over to cycling as a second year junior.

What are your main interests outside sports?

I really enjoy spending time outside doing activities such as hiking and camping.

What may we wish you for the rest of the season?

Over the rest of the season I hope to keep learning and improving my racing. One of my goals is to achieve a top 10 in the last coupe de France of the season. I’m also the leader of the Coupe de l’Est series and the Trophee haute de France series so I would like to hold on to my two jerseys and win the general classification of both. Whether I achieve these goals or not, as long as I learn something, I will be happy with my season.