Poels slams Vollering and Reusser over nasty weight comments about Ferrand-Prévot: "Such sore losers"
Cycling
Follow IDL Pro Cycling on Google
Stay up to date with the best cycling news by making us a preferred source on Google.
Follow us on GoogleIt’s been three weeks since Pauline Ferrand-Prévot won the Tour de France Femmes. The French rider from Visma | Lease a Bike dominated in spectacular fashion, but after the race, much of the talk was about her weight. Ferrand-Prévot appeared extremely lean, and according to some, too lean. Wout Poels responded sharply to that criticism during the In Koers podcast with Dylan van Baarle.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.”
Continue reading below the photo!
Ferrand-Prévot flew to two stage wins and yellow in the Tour de France Femmes.
"I thought it was disgraceful what was said"
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.”
Continue reading below the photo!
Demi Vollering, among others, was critical of her French competitor's weight.
Poels: "Back at Team Sky, people used to say I had anorexia too"
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.”
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
IDL-productions
Celia Gery won the European cyclocross championship while awaiting surgery: 'It'll be a new beginning'
Dutch team coach De Knegt annoyed by European Cyclocross Championships dispute: "A bit of a let down"
Glasgow set to shine as World Cup demand outstrips expectations and Mason eyes first home cyclocross race
Pogačar, Vingegaard and Van Aert went faster again in 2026... except when they didn't
Team GB dominate, China on the rise, Lavreysen the best ever? Five takeaways from the 2026 Track World Championships
Latest Cycling News
Eddie Dunbar wins Vuelta stage as Pinarello-Q36.5 put three riders in top five and Roglič attacks
Tom Pidcock ends 2026 fifth in the world, with Ciccone and Hayter arriving at Pinarello for 2027
Picnic PostNL's WorldTour uncertainty has five rival teams, and Tom Pidcock, watching the UCI closely
Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado's injury isn't as bad as feared, but she may not line up for a while
TotalEnergies rescued from collapse, but rider recruitment remains a problem before 27th Tour de France appearance
Popular Cycling News
Sven Nys spoke with Lucinda Brand straight after European Championship drama: 'Is that enough to ultimately relegate someone'
Fears of serious injury to Alvarado, bronze medalist, after the European Cyclocross Championships
Disqualified Schreiber skips European Championship podium: 'I’m very grateful that she said that'
Picnic PostNL's WorldTour uncertainty has five rival teams, and Tom Pidcock, watching the UCI closely
Schreiber slams disrespectful European cyclocross championship judges: 'They didn’t even let me finish speaking'
Latest Comments
- Eight riders told to go for stages, and nobody gets one—hard to know what the plan was there. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pick a clear leader next time.bikebuffj10-11-2026
- Was Bernal’s 20th place really their best GC result? I thought he might have finished higher. Either way, it sounds like a rough Tour for the whole team.gearguru3310-11-2026
- Five days in breaks with no stage win is a painful stat. The team had chances, but they need to turn those opportunities into results.julien10-11-2026
- The Onley Vuelta example makes sense: a team with someone to rally around often looks much more cohesive. Hopefully INEOS can build on that rather than expecting a quick return to the Sky years.cadencekingm10-11-2026
- Thomas is right about the ambiguity. Eight riders all chasing stages can end up pulling in different directions, even if nobody’s deliberately working against anyone. They need a clearer plan once the GC leaders are out.robert6510-11-2026
- What a mess. The report makes it sound as though nobody properly explained the decision, and that’s hard to defend.jennifer1910-11-2026
- I’m still learning the rules: does moving left in a sprint automatically bring a penalty, or does it depend on whether the other rider is blocked? It sounds like Brand wasn’t impeded here.patriciaw10-11-2026
- A final decision still needs a proper explanation. If the federation’s complaint goes nowhere, I hope the officials at least review how they handled the riders afterwards.michael5410-11-2026
- Fair play to Lucinda for saying Marie had won fair and square. That kind of sportsmanship matters, especially after such a controversial decision.raceready710-11-2026
- Schreiber beat Brand on the road, so the jury needed to explain clearly why that slight deviation warranted relegation. Being cut off before she could give her account sounds appalling.lindae10-11-2026