Poels slams Vollering and Reusser over nasty weight comments about Ferrand-Prévot: "Such sore losers"

Van Baarle, Ferrand-Prévot’s partner, heard Poels praise her commanding performance. “I thought it was great to watch. I followed almost every stage,” said the XDS-Astana climber. “It was incredible. Very impressive when you set such a clear goal and then ride away from the competition like that… hats off.”

Still, the Frenchwoman’s weight remained a talking point, with rivals speaking making comments about it. “She’s set a new standard, because if female riders can be this successful with that approach, it puts pressure on all of us,” said Marlen Reusser. “But what does this mean for the body? Could it be harmful to be that thin, even for a short time?” Demi Vollering also weighed in: “I hope young girls don’t now think they have to be super skinny to climb well in the mountains.”

That controversy didn’t sit well with Poels. “I was really disappointed about all the fuss surrounding her weight. In fact, I thought it was disgraceful what was being said, people arguing about whether it was healthy or not. I just thought: such sore losers. Riders saying they want to set a healthy example, and all that. I was like: we're professional athletes, and that means pushing your limits.”

Ferrand-Prévot eventually had to respond to the criticism. “It’s my job to be the best I can be, so I made choices and worked hard for them,” said the Tour winner. Poels finds the whole thing absurd. “Instead of people saying how impressive Pauline’s performance was, the conversation ended up being all about her weight. It felt like she had to defend herself. I thought it was disgraceful. It just wasn’t okay.”

It’s not just female riders who get comments about their weight. “When I was at Team Sky, people often said I had anorexia,” said the 37-year-old from Limburg. “We’re in elite sport, and if you want to climb a mountain fast, it’s all about the power-to-weight ratio. Of course, you’re not supposed to end up with an eating disorder, but now they acted like she was racing with anorexia. That’s really unfair to someone.”

“Dylan just mentioned how she reconned every stage from start to finish in their camper van. But when it comes down to it, she has to defend herself for having a top athlete’s mindset and doing everything it takes. And then she gets all that crap thrown at her. I thought it was really sad. She responded well, but I think it’s pathetic that she even had to.”