Demi Vollering<\/a>, who
\nfinished second to Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot at the Tour, reflected last month on the
\npressures female riders face. “I get it\u2014this is sport. People are
\nenthusiastic and have opinions. But let me be clear: I make, and will continue
\nto make, every decision in my career by putting my health first. Always. The
\ntruth is: I\u2019m not built to be the lightest rider in the peloton. And I don\u2019t
\nwant to force my body to become something it\u2019s not.”<\/p>\nVollering also spoke about the responsibility riders bear as
\nrole models. \u201cYoung girls are watching us. They notice what we say\u2014and what we
\ndon\u2019t. What we show. What gets celebrated as \u2018the way\u2019 to succeed. Sometimes,
\nwhat they see quietly plants a seed. They might not talk about it. Or even
\nrealize it\u2019s becoming something harmful. That\u2019s why we\u2014as high performance
\nathletes, teams, and a sport\u2014have a responsibility. We must create safe
\nenvironments where athletes can ask questions, speak openly, and get the right
\nguidance\u2014especially young and developing riders. Because the risk is real.
\nBecause health isn\u2019t always visible. Because disordered thinking can grow
\nquietly and stay hidden for a long time.”<\/p>\n
Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot herself has also pushed back against the
\nscrutiny last month. \u201cGuys, I’m 33 years old. I know what I’m doing,” she
\nsaid. “And for those who used to follow me, I’ve always had the habit of
\nposting what I eat quite intuitively. But I admit that since this
\n‘controversy,’ I’m thinking twice before doing it, and that’s not right.”<\/p>\n
Zigart welcomes the fact that the subject is being aired
\nmore openly, even if she disliked the way the discussion sometimes unfolded.
\n“I think it’s being talked about a lot more, especially after this year’s
\nTour. Personally, I didn’t like the discussion surrounding it, because the
\ngirls were turning on each other, and I don’t think that’s the right way to
\nhandle it.”<\/p>\n
Instead, she says the motivation behind an athlete\u2019s choices
\nshould be better understood. “The key question, in my opinion, is why
\nsomeone decides to lose weight,” Zigart explained. “Pauline decided
\nto do it because she was preparing for a specific goal: the Tour de France.
\nShe’s 33 years old, has been a cyclist all her life, and knew exactly why she
\nwas doing it. For her, it wasn’t an obsession with food or appearance, but a
\nconscious choice related to her work.”<\/p>\n
Zigart stressed that Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot\u2019s decision cannot be
\ntreated as a model for younger cyclists. “Of course, it’s not right to
\nencourage all female cyclists to do this, but it’s true that girls have now
\nrealized that this can be necessary to win the Tour.”<\/p>\n
She believes that balance and patience must come first in a
\nrider\u2019s career. “It’s important to explain to them that the first few
\nseasons are primarily about development, especially if they have support and a
\nsolid place in the team. First, you have to develop and be healthy, and only
\nthen can you think about optimizing in all areas.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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