“I haven’t had my period for three years”: Tour de France Femmes mountain leader exposes the severe health toll of elite cycling
Cycling
Océane Mahé enjoyed the biggest day of her career so far by taking the Queen of the Mountains jersey on the opening stage of the Tour de France Femmes. Yet behind the celebrations, the French rider also delivered a powerful message about the physical toll elite cycling can take, revealing she has not had her menstrual cycle for three years due to the demands of high-performance sport.
A dream Tour debut
Mahé made an unforgettable start to her first Tour de France Femmes by joining the breakaway on the opening stage around Lausanne, collecting enough mountain points to secure the coveted polka dot jersey.
The 24-year-old, riding for French ProTeam Ma Petite Entreprise, admitted the achievement exceeded her expectations. “It's incredible. It's my first Tour de France, it's the first stage, it's the team's first Tour and I'm so happy,” she said in words gathered by RMC Sport.
The result also sent a strong message about her newly formed team. “We're showing that we don't have to be ashamed in front of the bigger teams. It's such an iconic jersey, it's amazing. I think I'll be looking at myself in the mirror a lot.”
“The ‘Come on, Océane!’ cheers... I think the other girls in the breakaway must have been fed up because they were all for me. It was fantastic. There were people all along the roadside. We weren't bored for a single moment.”
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Before the race began, Mahé also spoke candidly about the health consequences of the extreme physical demands placed on professional cyclists.
The topic of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) has become increasingly prominent in women's cycling, with one of its common symptoms being the loss of the menstrual cycle. Mahé revealed she has experienced exactly that after significant weight loss. “I haven't had my period for three years.”
She explained that the issue reflects the strain elite competition places on athletes' bodies. “It's not necessarily good news, but we know that as elite athletes we push our bodies enormously. We use up our reserves and unfortunately my hormonal system decided to go into standby a little over three years ago.”
Lorena Wiebes won the second stage of the Tour de France Femmes 2026
Building a career despite financial challenges
After Arkéa-B&B Hôtels folded at the end of the 2025 season, Mahé found a new opportunity with Ma Petite Entreprise, a unique project financially supported by hundreds of entrepreneurs.
Despite competing at the highest level, she revealed her financial situation remains modest. “This year my salary is just a little above the French minimum wage. I earn exactly €1,550 per month.”
Her income is supplemented by both family support and an engineering internship. “My parents still help me a little, especially with paying my rent. I also receive an internship allowance because I'm an engineering intern at a company, which gives me a little extra and makes things more comfortable.”
Despite not being present in the breakaway of the day in stage 2, Mahé managed to retain the jersey, only 1 point ahead of Anouska Koster. Stage 3 will be another key day for her, as there will be four categorized climbs.
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
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- guess what Valgren, you're 34, and no you're not good enough. sorry to say.mij14-11-2026
- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
- enough time? he's 24 years old. He's won 10 races over the last 2 years and some are significant. I won't argue about his attitude being good - it needs to improve. But with some coaching and mentorship he has a lot of winning ahead of him and has plenty of time to win a GT. I don't think he will ever beat Tadej, but everyone else is fair game Look at Mas and Valverde - they were 31 and 29, respectively, when they won the Vuelta.mij14-11-2026
- Pogacar has a fine head on his shoulders.Careful investments and a couple of coffee shops sounds like a wonderful way to chill after an intense career.Stay healthy GOAT.
Brucegel14-11-2026 - I live in Maribor.PogiSloFans14-11-2026
- I live in Ljubljana and often go on trips in the surrounding area, where I frequently see young cyclists in 'Pogi Team' jerseys training, either alone or in groups. By simply motivating so many young people to take up cycling, Tadej has already achieved something truly significant.Velijo14-11-2026
- That's an excellent point. It's interesting that Vader came to that realization only after he learned that his contract wasn't going to be renewed.
santiagobenites14-11-2026 - Indeed! A reluctant gift maybe. Even more reluctant gift from Roglic! Tho I can’t see that Rog would have beaten Ving anyway.Lozza14-11-2026
- That really nasty crash in 2022 Liege must have played a big part - broken ribs, pneumothorax. You only have to look at his points tallies pre and post.Lozza14-11-2026
- Yeah, good luck getting tv and race organisers like ASO etc to part with their cash!Lozza14-11-2026
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