"Respect must never be forgotten" - Rider explains how just hours after she lost her mother she was subjected to a home anti-doping test
Cycling
Valentina Cavallar has shared one of the most difficult experiences of her personal life in an Instagram post. The Austrian cyclist explained that she decided to end her season early after the Tour de France for personal and family reasons, following the loss of her mother in September.
As well as describing how the experience has changed her outlook on life, she recounted an incident that took place just hours after her mother’s death. It made her reflect on the need to remember the human side of professional athletes.
“For personal and family reasons, I had to end my season early after this year’s Tour de France,” her post begins. Cavallar says she usually prefers to keep her private life out of the public eye, but feels this experience is important and deserves to be shared.
The cyclist explains that her mother’s death has changed her perspective on what really matters. In a sport where results, victories and targets take up much of everyday life, losing someone dear has led her to question her priorities.
“Losing someone you love changes the way you see life forever”
“You can spend much of your life chasing goals, pushing your limits and measuring success in results, victories and achievements. But losing someone you love makes you realise how little any of that matters in the end,” she reflects.
Cavallar stresses that life is not about piling up successes, earning the highest honours or making sure everyone knows your name. For her, what truly matters is the people you love, the moments you share with them and the memories you make together.
The athlete admits she had always understood how important her family was, but says she did not fully grasp just how much until she had to face life without her mother.
A doping test just hours after her mother’s death
The most difficult part of her post comes when Cavallar describes what happened just hours after her mother died. She says she had to undergo a doping test at home while still coming to terms with her loss, in a room next to the one where her mother lay.
“What made the experience even harder was that, just a few hours after my mother had passed away, I had to undergo a doping test at home, in the room next to where she was lying,” she says.
The cyclist makes clear that she understands the importance of ensuring clean sport and has always respected the responsibilities that come with being a professional athlete. However, she believes those circumstances were far removed from anything normally associated with her sporting career.
“At that moment, I clearly wasn’t thinking about cycling, competition or my responsibilities as an athlete. I was a daughter who had just lost her mother,” she explains.
Cavallar describes the experience as deeply painful, out of place and disrespectful to her family. Her reflection does not question the need for doping tests, but highlights how the demands of professional sport can clash with moments of profound personal vulnerability.
“There is a human being behind every athlete”
The Austrian cyclist’s post focuses on an issue that reaches beyond cycling: the need to remember that every professional is also a person with a family, feelings and personal circumstances that do not disappear when they start their sporting activities.
Cavallar regrets that this human dimension can sometimes be overlooked when sporting obligations are enforced. She believes clean sport must go hand in hand with empathy and consideration for those facing exceptional circumstances.
“I believe in clean sport. But I also believe that humanity, compassion and respect must never be forgotten,” she concludes.
With these words, Valentina Cavallar has publicly explained why her season ended earlier than planned and shared the painful personal circumstances that have shaped recent months. Her account also prompts reflection on how to balance testing and the responsibilities of professional sport with the respect athletes deserve during the most difficult moments of their lives.
*Article image from Valentina Cavallar’s Instagram
Juan LarraCycling Journalist
Juan Larra is a writer for Cyclinguptodate and editor-in-chief of Ciclismoaldia, where he has played a central role since its inception. Under his leadership, the website has become a trusted source for professional cycling coverage, offering in-depth analysis, news, and feature stories.
A sports journalist with over 20 years of experience, Juan earned his degree in Journalism from the University of Seville in 2007. He began his career covering a wide range of sports—including football, basketball, Formula 1, MotoGP, tennis, and cycling—for platforms such as the official La Liga app, Vodafone and Movistar websites, NBA Blogdebasket, and Cadena Cope, honing his skills in writing and editorial management.
In addition to his work at Ciclismoaldia, Juan contributes to Cyclinguptodate and serves as editor-in-chief for the tennis-focused site Tenisaldia. Throughout his career, he has conducted exclusive interviews with cyclists and sports figures, provided detailed analysis of competitions ranging from local Spanish races to major international events, and acted as a special correspondent at prestigious races including Paris-Roubaix, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a España.
Juan’s combination of experience, expertise, and direct access to athletes has established him—and the platforms he leads—as authoritative voices in professional cycling.
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- bravo! a rider likes jonas needs motivation and he needs to believe in being able to reach goals. he - like anybody else in the world - doesn't believe that he can win the tdf with pogi present. and what's it worth for when pogi is not there? second class victory only. he has checked all three grand tours, so what is left if not retire? the classics! go for it, jonas!Ketterechts02-11-2026
- i am sure that under the pretext of medical examination a lot worse has happened when they were under.abstractengineer02-11-2026
- dude, Lemond never even was in the same race as Armstrong. He throws all these aspersions on other American riders who might usurp his throne as the greatest ever American racer. He doesn't say a single thing about (foreign) dopers who he actually raced against. Biggest douchebag move ever. I used to revere that guy, now I despise him. His actions are so weird.fatsupermodel02-11-2026
- This is just stupid, You do what you are good at not what you are weak at. He has no results to speak of when he participated. Even Froome, Conatdor had very little. With Pogi there he wont win none of the classics. he is already 30+ with a few years left at the top. It takes years to get good at classics. Is that really worth the effort???abstractengineer02-11-2026
- Sure, little fella.awp02-11-2026
- You'll be the ongoing joke of 2027 with anything you post here!frieders302-11-2026
- Awwww your inside information must be from PogiFanGirl. You two daughters of different mothers?frieders302-11-2026
- Hey PogIFanGirl...wipe that cream from your lips! You're ever loving drooling and whatever you have for Tadej has your brain fried!frieders302-11-2026
- Why should he 'let it go' ! Because you said so? Anytime LA Doper is called out is a win win !frieders302-11-2026
- Geez LeMond...let it go. You're a has been, albeit a former great one. But this is all water under the bridge and just undermines your legacy further.Mshark01-11-2026
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