Marlen Reusser holds nothing back in women’s cycling debate: ‘I’m angry at everything’

Marlen Reusser has been one of the leading figures in women’s cycling for several years. The Swiss Movistar rider is among the best cyclists in the world, but she also knows what it means to compete as a woman at the highest level of the sport. She has watched women’s cycling grow rapidly, yet believes that progress is still not enough. In a passionate and wide-ranging argument, she explains where the sport continues to fall short and what needs to change.

Women’s cycling has grown exponentially in recent years. Prize money is being equalised at an increasing number of races, the sport is receiving more television coverage and riders are being paid more by their teams, whose budgets have also risen significantly. Demi Vollering has been particularly outspoken about the changes that are still required, and Reusser is equally unwilling to hold back.

Speaking at a press conference attended by IDL ProCycling, Reusser pauses briefly to consider the subject. Then she holds nothing back. “It is a huge topic and something I could talk about for hours, but what we see in sport is a reflection of society as a whole. Of course I am happy with the progress that has been made, but at the same time I am disappointed that we still look at women differently. We see women as being worth less, while male athletes are simply viewed as the athletes.”

That attitude is holding back the development of women’s sport, according to the 34-year-old Swiss rider. “I dream of a future in which it is not about gender, but simply about what people enjoy watching. However, you all know that it is also about where the money goes. Where are the sponsors and where is the marketing investment? That is where progress remains slow. It is human nature that these things develop gradually, but that does not mean we should stop pushing for change.”

The reigning world time-trial champion again draws a comparison with society more broadly. She recognises that she, too, has been influenced by the assumptions and expectations of those around her. “I grew up in this society. I see men and women in a certain way, and I have also learned to look at sport in a certain way. Our brains are still trapped in these categories, however, and I hope we will begin to see much faster progress in breaking out of them.”

The Tour of Flanders equalised its prize money for the men’s and women’s races in 2023. Other organisers subsequently followed the example set by Flanders Classics, but the Tour de France Femmes still trails far behind its men’s equivalent. Tadej Pogačar earned €500,000 for winning the men’s Tour the previous week, while Pauline Ferrand-Prévot received only one-tenth of that amount for winning the 2025 women’s race. Does that disparity make Reusser angry?

“I am angrier about all the small and large things that make us feel as though women are worth less than men,” she explains. “At this moment, however, women in cycling are financially worth less than men because so much more money is being invested in the men’s sport. You have to analyse the entire picture. It would not be logical to suddenly increase the women’s prize money tenfold overnight without also addressing everything else around it.”

Race organisers are therefore not the only parties that remain behind, Reusser argues. “The sponsors, but also all of you in the media, have to lead this discussion. I could give you an example from today. The priorities chosen by parts of the media genuinely shock me. At the same time, every one of us contributes to the current situation. When we move all these different areas forward together, we can eventually reach the point where women receive the same pay.”

Reusser also outlines another scenario that could help transform the sport. “We could have a female cyclist who becomes so good and so popular that everyone wants to watch her race, and she could then be paid more than the men. That is not a utopian idea; it is something that could realistically happen. We simply need every part of the sport to move forward at the same time.” She then returns to the original question. “So I am not specifically angry with the race organiser. I am angry at everything.”

The Swiss rider does not claim to have a simple answer for exactly how all these changes should be achieved. She does, however, point towards the major companies and investors capable of bringing more money into women’s cycling. “It has to happen organically. You cannot push one part of the story too far ahead of all the others. Everything has to grow at the same time and in an organic way. When major companies decide to sponsor a team, there are people behind those decisions who understand its value. By sponsoring us, they also help give that value to us.”

Finally, Reusser believes ordinary people have an important role to play, especially those responsible for raising the next generation. “We have to change these attitudes from a young age, but that change has to begin with us. Our words, the things we do and the way we treat one another are exactly what children absorb. Sport can help with that process. If I owned a major company, I would sponsor women exclusively to help push the movement forward, although I recognise that doing so would also be an artificial way of accelerating it.”