"I am disappointed that we still look at women differently" - Marlen Reusser and Demi Vollering speak from their hearts before Tour de France Femmes
CyclingFriday, 31 July 2026 at 16:15
The Tour de France Femmes puts to the front the best in the world and amongst them are Marlen Reusser and Demi Vollering. From inequality in the sport to a route that speaks to the heart; both maillot jaune contenders have shared some of their thoughts ahead of the race.
“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," Reusser said in a press conference ahead of the race, as reported by IDLProCycling.
"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.”
The budgets within pro cycling have increased, in men's cycling the growth has been exponential with multiple teams going above a yearly budget of €40 million years a season, whilst bigger global brands are getting involved in the sponsorship of top teams.
The sport is living a golden age, but often the money does not move towards the women's side. Whilst there is also growth, there is a big gap in how both have evolved over the past decades and years.
“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.”
Marlen Reusser heads into the Tour de France Femmes as one of the main favourites
Reusser, the reigning time trial World Champion, has openly spoken once again about what matters to her in the sport. As a figure with a high degree of importance in the sport, her words are already very relevant.
At the Tour de France Femmes, after winning the Tour de Suisse Women, she has an opportunity to take yet another step towards being a Grand Tour specialist. Previously, she has not finished high on GC; whilst last year she abandoned early on whilst being in a position of big favourite.
“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.”
With Paula Blasi being rumoured to have cycling's first millionaire contract within the female peloton, the money is slowly heading towards huge numbers in the wmoen's side of the sport. The rebirth or creation of races such as the Tour de France Femmes and Paris-Roubaix Femmes grow its exposure.
“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. So I am not specifically angry with the race organizer. I am angry at everything.”
Demi Vollering can win the Tour in a climb that means a lot personally
Demi Vollering in the meantime, the winner of the 2023 edition, sets off into 2026 after two runner-up positions behind Katarzyna Niewiadoma and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot over the past two summers.
The nine-day route features two very difficult stages where the overall classification: One up to Mont Ventoux on stage 7; and the mountainous circuit around Nice in the final day.
Mont Ventoux is a climb that means a lot to Vollering, a rider born and raised in the Netherlands.
“We all drove down there in a van and went camping,. It was the first time I saw real mountains and the first time I rode up a real mountain. I was just so impressed. I really enjoyed riding up there," Vollering shared with The Guardian.
“It was hard, but I was looking around the whole time and really pushing myself. I passed some men and I was super proud to see that they were really suffering and that I was passing them. That’s where I really found out I was a pretty good climber because against all the other girls I trained with, I was always the first at the top".
Last year the race was decided on the Col de la Madeleine; whilst more and more the Tour de France Femmes tackles some of the country's most famous mountains. On Ventoux, Vollering may have a mental upper hand.
“Mentally too, I was able to suffer, maybe more than average people on that mountain. I saw that riding uphill was my strength and suited me as the type of athlete I am. The Ventoux inspired me a lot.”
Vollering on her post-Tour comments in 2025
She heads into the race after winning the Giro Donne after a major battle with Anna van der Breggen. Her position is perhaps similar to last year's, where she was defeated by Pauline Ferrand-Prévot.
12 months ago, the discourse on Ferrand-Prévot's weight was a major point of discussion; underlining a big difference with Vollering who avoided going into extremes. The two approaches t to the Tour were quite visible also in both riders' comments.
But Vollering reveals she looked to be very careful when commenting on the weight of her rivals. “I was like, ‘okay, I need to be very careful with my words now.’ I knew if I said something, maybe they’d write it down out of context or ‘hear’ it differently than I meant it".
“I was super aware of the words I was choosing. But I was not happy about a lot of articles, or some subtitles, that were used, just for clicks. It was also difficult because, of course, I never wanted to undermine Pauline’s performance.”
Both riders return to the Tour, perhaps at the top of their game and as the two main favourites out of an extensive field. Against Marlen Reusser, Elisa Longo Borghini, Paula Blasi, Anna van der Breggen and many more; the Dutchwoman has her work cut out over the coming week and a half.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- LOL passing men is no significant achievement for elite female cyclists unless they are actually pros
Rafionain-Glas31-07-2026 - Visma's Vuelta gifting was certainly complicated, with JV having almost wiped out Kuss's lead before a public outcry led to Visma's decision to hold back. But Jonas seemed fine with letting almost victory go.Hills3331-07-2026
- I can read, and am responding to another comment or, dumbdevilCrashjames31-07-2026
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Davide31-07-2026 - yup.OCexile31-07-2026
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- Since over 30 years cycling has talked about little else. Maybe that didn’t reach your birthplace at the time and as you left when the brown stuff hit the fan there…Jumpyjohn31-07-2026
- Didn't enjoy it anymore, always will be 2nd behind tadejZamorano31-07-2026
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