In recent weeks, despite destroying my personal bests from the previous 36 months, I was not fast. I did not win the race. There are so many other factors that influence the bike’s motions. I had to reach a plateau, to recognise that power does not equal speed. I believe that plateau culminated in what you all saw in the somewhat devastating loss to Alix Brissaire in Nantes Segré, in the sprint à trois, I had come to uncover a possible third definition of the verb.