After retiring from competitive racing in 2004, the world hour record-holder and 1990 Giro d'Italia winner moved to Copenhagen to work as sports director for Team SATS. 

But when she moved away from cycling and into lifestyle coaching, finally ending up as a fitness centre leader, Marsal realised she had made a wrong turn.

"I was too far away from what I could give, and I was really missing the cycling,” the 44-year-old said in the build-up to Baku 2015. "Sometimes I was crying on my bike down to work, thinking 'What am I doing here?'"

But then a chance email to DCU sports director Lars Bonde at the start of this year led to an offer to coach the Danish women's team.

"When I saw the job description, I thought 'This is me'," said Marsal, who was also world champion in 1990. "There was absolutely no doubt that this was exactly where I should belong, in cycling. It really was my calling.”

Marsal now finds herself helping fine-tune the European Games preparations of Denmark's Christina Siggard and Camilla Mollebro Pedersen. Siggard sees the move by the DCU to give them a female coach as positive.

"You can talk with her about more things than with a man. Normally when we are away, there are no women staff with us,” said the 21-year-old, who took bronze in the 2011 world championships.

There is more to Marsal's coaching credentials than several years of experience in the saddle. After retiring she passed a cycling diploma in France and also studied for a bachelor's degree in global nutrition and health once resident in Denmark.

"She is experienced and she knows what it takes to be the best. She can also be a good inspiration for the young,” said Bonde of his new recruit.

The men's and women road cycling time trials will be held on 18 June at Bilgah Beach, while the road races for women and men are to be raced from Freedom Square in the centre of Baku on 20 and 21 June.

 

(baku2015.com)