World champion Vallières reveals horrific circumstances in women's cycling: 'When someone grabs your stomach every morning...'

The breakthrough of Magdeleine Vallières is one that could fill an entire book. The Canadian rider unexpectedly became world champion in Rwanda. The career of the EF Education – Oatly rider is clearly on the rise, but not so long ago things looked very different. Vallières struggled badly, largely due to horrific experiences at a former team.

As a junior, Vallières recorded strong results in her home country, which earned her a place with continental outfit WCC Team. With little experience at the time, she allowed herself to be guided by the people around her. “Back then I didn’t know the basics, and I didn’t realise how important it is to eat enough when you train a lot,” she told L’Équipe. The result was severe under-fuelling.

That situation was largely caused by an unnamed coach. “He told us we were fat, that we would be better off if we were lighter. He blackmailed us with food, saying that if we ate certain things, we’d have to run behind the team car,” Vallières explains. “When someone grabs your stomach every morning to show you that you’re fat, it eventually gets into your head.”

As a result, Vallières became dangerously underweight. She developed an unhealthy obsession with food. “I restricted myself; he said we weren’t allowed to eat sugar, even though we actually needed it. I ate more salad than anything else; it didn’t do me any good, it only made me feel worse,” she says. She lost strength, fell ill more frequently, and her menstrual cycle stopped entirely.

At EF Education–Tibco–SVB, her next team, things slowly began to improve. But it wasn’t until 2024 that real progress was made. “It took a year before I had a healthy mindset around nutrition again. Anna, the team’s nutritionist, told me that getting my period back was becoming a priority - and that was also what I wanted, because I knew it wasn’t normal,” Vallières explains

Her health situation meant she was at risk of developing osteoporosis, a disease that weakens the bones. Thanks to a new nutrition plan, she returned to her target weight just before the Tour de France. “I celebrated by buying myself a small cake, and my teammates came to congratulate me. Anna kept telling me how much stronger I was going to become,” she recalls.

The results speak for themselves, with the world title in Kigali as the ultimate reward. Her menstrual cycle has since returned as well. Vallières does not shy away from the ongoing debate about weight in women’s cycling - a discussion that has intensified following Pauline Ferrand-Prévot’s Tour victory. “Being thin to win is not a good example for the next generation. It’s not right. My experience has taught me that being healthy is the best way to perform,” she concludes.