![\"Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot](\"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Z8A_1675-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\u2018There are always riders who want to be lighter than we advise’: Teams strive to save riders from themselves in the chase for race-weight and shift the focus to raw power.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
(Photo: Gruber Images \/ Velo)<\/p>\n
Updated August 30, 2025 01:15AM<\/p>\n
Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot<\/a> and her dramatic weight loss became the hottest potato of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift<\/a>.<\/p>\n But don\u2019t think that\u2019s the norm.<\/p>\n Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot\u2019s extreme \u201ccut\u201d is an outlier in a peloton that\u2019s racing to rethink the watts per kilo equation.<\/p>\n \u201cOur main focus is always on lifting watts. That\u2019s always the first priority, especially the way racing is now,\u201d S\u00f8ren Lavrsen told Velo.<\/p>\n Lavrsen works as head of nutrition at Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot\u2019s Visma-Lease a Bike super team.<\/p>\n The likes of Jonas Vingegaard, Marianne Vos, Wout van Aert, and Matteo Jorgenson all fall under his cross-gender umbrella.<\/p>\n Lavrsen explained to Velo that after decades of depletion, the peloton is coming to learn that lighter isn\u2019t always better.<\/p>\n \u201cCycling is so hard now that power is the most important, for performance but also for health,\u201d Lavrsen said on a recent video call.<\/p>\n \u201cWe do everything we can to raise a rider\u2019s level as high as possible first. It\u2019s only once we\u2019ve done all we can do there that we look at weight,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI think this is different from years before. The ideas about reaching potential are different.\u201d<\/p>\n Watts come before weight in the hyper-power peloton Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot\u2019s weight became a lead headline of the Tour de France Femmes.<\/p>\n Her razor-thin climbing limbs provoked a worldwide conversation about rider health, both in the men\u2019s and women\u2019s peloton.<\/p>\n Yet the 33-year-old wasn\u2019t subject to a brutal starvation diet or a dangerous dehydration a la boxing.<\/p>\n Lavresen echoed PFP\u2019s defense<\/a> that her \u201cweight loss was controlled and intelligent. It was not a disease.\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking with Velo soon after the Tour de France Femmes, Lavrsen said it was the final step in a performance puzzle for an athlete who topped out her short-term physiological potential.<\/p>\n \u201cWith Pauline and all our riders, it\u2019s not just about being the lightest,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is about being a sustainable weight and not getting sick. A happy, healthy athlete is a thriving athlete.\u201d<\/p>\n This wattage-first mindset is one of the ultimate symptoms of modern racing.<\/p>\n Riders like Tadej Poga\u010dar, Mathieu van der Poel, and PFP [yes, PFP \u2013 remember her bullish win at Paris-Roubaix] rule the extra-aggressive post-pandemic peloton with raw, relentless power.<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018If we have to choose, we prefer riders be heavier but powerful and healthy\u2019 Lavrsen cited Norwegian triathletes as something of an inspiration for his nutritional philosophies.<\/p>\n Barrel-chested Iron Men athletes like Kristian Blummenfelt don\u2019t sweat over the bathroom scales. They think of a pipeline of raw watts while they scarf vast quantities of carbs.<\/p>\n Olav Aleksandr Bu is head of performance at Uno-X Mobility and a long-time mentor to Blummenfelt.<\/p>\n The visionary trainer believes the peloton could gain weight in a future of high-carb fueling and gravity surpassing watts.<\/p>\n Also read: \u2018Athlete weight is going to increase\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n James Moran works alongside Bu as head nutritionist for the men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams at Uno-X. He echoed Lavrsen\u2019s thinking.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can be as light as possible, and have a super power to weight ratio,\u201d Moran told Velo. \u201cBut if you\u2019re unable to produce those numbers or train properly because you\u2019re getting sick a lot or not recovering, then it\u2019s pointless.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we have to choose, we prefer riders to be a little heavier but powerful and healthy to train and to race,\u201d Moran said.<\/p>\n Moran and Bu\u2019s team is an extreme outlier of the \u201cmore is more\u201d mindset \u2013 just look at the headlines Jonas Abrahamasen harvested with his 20kg \u201cbulk.<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n Nonetheless, the the Scandi squad\u2019s mindset embodies a new way of thinking about watts per kilo \u2013 one that\u2019s suited to the wild performances<\/a> of the Poga\u010dar-Pr\u00e9vot era.<\/p>\n Forgoing Froome-era fueling Moran highlighted how pushing the line of leanness is rarely an option in today\u2019s super-power peloton. A transformation like Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot\u2019s might not be seen again for many years.<\/p>\n In 2025, running the gauge into the red is self-sabotage.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had riders say, \u2018I need to be lighter. I\u2019m too big.\u2019 I ask them: \u2018Too big for what? Why do you need to be lighter?\u2019\u201d Moran said on a WhatsApp call.<\/p>\n Moran highlighted how riders reach for examples that are no longer valid.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen Chris Froome was dominant in grand tours, he had a very unique body composition. But people still look at those images and think they need to be that way to win,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cRacing isn\u2019t the same now, though. The modern Tour de France is like 21 one-day classics,\u201d Moran continued.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s absolutely no way you can go into it with low energy availability, or trying to manipulate weight like when Froome was winning. Team Sky famously had Froome in deficit on some race-days. You just can\u2019t do that now.\u201d<\/p>\n Cycling is still haunted by a history of hunger Like Moran said, pro cycling is a different sport from when Froome ruled.<\/p>\n The \u201ccarbohydrate revolution\u201d embodies a science-backed approach to nutrition and training that\u2019s made the men\u2019s and women\u2019s WorldTour like Formula 1 on two wheels.<\/p>\n Also read: Why the peloton is turning away from Froome-era fueling<\/a><\/p>\n Demi Vollering said during the Tour de France Femmes she refuses to chase a damaging dream-weight. She favors strength and sustainability<\/a> instead.<\/p>\n Likewise, Vingegaard revealed he was heavier and more explosive<\/a> than ever before at the men\u2019s Tour.<\/p>\n But sadly, depletion diets and starvation rides are still only a decade away.<\/p>\n Tales of old-school staffers \u201cfat shaming\u201d and pinching at rounded glutes or hips are becoming rare, but not totally obsolete. And what we\u2019re told by team nutritionists and trainers must also be taken with a pinch of media-pleasing salt.<\/p>\n \u2018Riders appear to eat well during races, but many starve themselves in private\u2019 C\u00e9drine Kerbaol, Clara Koppenburg, and Veronica Ewers recently spoke out on how riders can\u2019t escape the thinking<\/a> that lighter might mean faster.<\/p>\n Anonymous female and male pros wrote similar in must-read columns on the Domestique website.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s almost become a place for eating disorders to be acknowledged as normal or just the life of a cyclist,\u201d the female rider wrote on Domestique.<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s a column that makes it brutally clear that cycling is cursed by watts per kilo.<\/p>\n \u201cRiders appear to eat well during races, but many starve themselves in private,\u201d they wrote. \u201cSome weigh themselves morning and night, chasing numbers that fluctuate naturally.<\/p>\n Teams are painfully aware that no rider wants to carry extra kilos over the 20km climbs of the Tour de France.<\/p>\n Lidl-Trek nutritionist Stephanie Scheirlynck told Velo how her team tries to save riders from themselves.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to set limits for minimal body fat percentage and weight for each rider when we work on composition goals,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s based on where the riders are now, their history, and their natural body shape.<\/p>\n \u201cBut there are always riders, men and women, who think lighter than we advise will be better. Or those who want to push the line from \u2018normal\u2019 to see what it will achieve,\u201d Scheirlynck said.<\/p>\n Treading the tightrope of \u2018race weight\u2019 and sustainable performance Scheirlynck works across Lidl-Trek\u2019s men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams.<\/p>\n She explained how the peloton is undergoing a re-education.<\/p>\n The lesson? That extreme race weight will only work for so long.<\/p>\n Relative energy deficiency in sport [RED-S] impacts physical, hormonal, and mental health and can be a gateway to more entrenched disordered behaviors.<\/p>\n \u201cWeight will always be part of performance. There\u2019s no escaping that,\u201d Scheirlynck told Velo. \u201cAnd of course, professional athletes always want to push the limits. That\u2019s how they got to where they are.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why we try to set limits. And we have to help riders understand that dropping below those can have impacts for health.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s now the norm for teams to employ a whole brigade of nutritionists, team chefs, and clued-up coaches who reinforce those messages.<\/p>\n Shortcutting the w\/kg equation However, gravity\u2019s pull will always remain strong.<\/p>\n \u201cRiders still see cutting the diet as just a \u2018thing\u2019 they have to do,\u201d Scheirlynck said. \u201cIt can be hard to change the mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n Shedding pounds is a quicker way to shortcut the watts per kilo equation than adding a few percent onto FTP.<\/p>\n \u201cWeight is always going to be a big factor of performance, but we need to show it\u2019s not the most important part,\u201d Uno-X\u2019s Moran said.<\/p>\n \u201cHistorically, the role of nutrition in cycling seemed to be to get riders as skinny as possible. But we know now that lighter isn\u2019t always better. In fact, it\u2019s often detrimental to performance,\u201d Moran continued.<\/p>\n \u201cThe difference in power needed if you\u2019re a kilo heavier isn\u2019t that significant. But being a kilo lighter can be a real danger point.\u201d<\/p>\n Inflection point at the Tour de France Femmes? The tricky triangulation of weight, performance, and health is one of cycling\u2019s last taboos.<\/p>\n But maybe the Tour de France Femmes was an inflection point.<\/p>\n Kerbaol, Koppenburg, and Domestique\u2019s secret pros discussed missed periods, missed meals, and mental turmoil.<\/p>\n Tour de France veteran Wout Poels went on to highlight how underfueling and disordered behaviors aren\u2019t isolated to the women\u2019s peloton.<\/a><\/p>\n Insiders hope this new more open dialogue can create momentum for change.<\/p>\n The CPA doubled down on its push for the UCI to take inspiration from the world of sport climbing and introduce checks for RED-S and bone density<\/a>. Kerbaol created her own \u201cf.e.e.d_powr<\/a>\u201d awareness page on Instagram.<\/p>\n But staffers accept it\u2019s the employers \u2013 the teams \u2013 that should bear the duty of care to their athletes.<\/p>\n Forward-thinking teams like Visma-Lease a Bike, Lidl-Trek, and Uno-X Mobility implement regular blood testing to check for hormonal health, and use DEXA scans to check bone density and body composition.<\/p>\n Lidl-Trek even has an in-house psychologist to help riders address anxieties \u2013 whether they\u2019re about body image and diet, or racing, training, and relationships.<\/p>\n \u2018When the margins are so small, riders will do whatever it takes\u2019 But it\u2019s not a level playing field.<\/p>\n \u201cLuxuries\u201d like repeat DEXA scans and psychologists aren\u2019t available to minnow teams struggling to meet the payroll.<\/p>\n And more to the point, they won\u2019t erase the fact that cycling is a power sport anchored by gravity.<\/p>\n \u201cIt feels like when the margins are as small as now, riders will do whatever it takes,\u201d Visma-Lease a Bike nutritionist Lavrsen admitted.<\/p>\n Chasing race weight will forever be one of cycling\u2019s high-performance highwires.<\/p>\n The sport is scrambling to install some safety nets.<\/p>\n
\n![\"Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Z8A_1062.jpg\")
Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot hit new climbing highs with back-to-back mountaintop wins at the Tour de France Femmes. (Photo: Gruber Images \/ Velo)<\/p>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Z8B_9902-1-1200x749.jpg\")
Classics and breakaway specialist Jonas Abrahamsen of Uno-X made weight gain work for him. (Photo: Gruber Images \/ Velo)<\/p>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/85A_1519-1200x904.jpg\")
Froome famously raced in a calorie deficit through periods of the 2018 Giro. (Photo: Gruber Images \/ Velo)<\/p>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Z8A_8454-1200x837.jpg\")
Riders fuel more on the bike and are eat better off of it thanks to nutritionists, team chefs, and better education. (Photo: Gruber Images\/ Velo)<\/p>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Z8D_2248-2-1200x750.jpg\")
Teams try to educate riders away from age-old ideas that lighter is always better, but who knows what happens behind home doors. (Photo: Gruber Images \/ Velo)<\/p>\n
\n![\"Demi](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Z8B_8389-1200x717.jpg\")
Demi Vollering discussed at the Tour de France how she opted for a healthy, sustainable approach to \u2018race weight.\u2019 (Photo: Gruber Images \/ Velo)<\/p>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Z8D_1886-2-1200x750.jpg\")
Watts per kilo will always rule the Tour de France. Teams are trying to shift the focus from kilos toward watts. (Photo: Gruber Images \/ Velo)<\/p>\n
\n![\"Taboo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Z8A_0209-1200x835.jpg\")
Taboo topics like disordered eating, RED-S, and \u2018race weight\u2019 were openly discussed at the Tour de France Femmes.<\/p>\n
\n![\"Tour](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Z8B_8928-1200x939.jpg\")
Training, nutrition, and recovery is more dialed than ever, but riders will always want more. (Photo: Gruber Images \/ Velo)<\/p>\n