"She reminds me so much of Miguel Indurain" - Lance Armstrong on Marlen Reusser, Mont Ventoux and Ferrand-Prévot's downfall
CyclingThursday, 06 August 2026 at 16:21
The Tour de France Femmes is delivering a lot of action in its first half, with Demi Vollering, Marlen Reusser and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot delivering an exciting battle for the yellow jersey. Lance Armstrong has commented on the race up until stage 5, with one rider out of the mix for the yellow jersey.
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot well below her previous level
“The difference between Pauline in 2026 and Pauline in 2025 is enormous. In terms of the percentage she is losing, something is simply wrong, whether that is because of injuries, poor preparation or recovery,” Armstrong said on The Move podcast.
The French rider has struggled to reach her best form and has not performed as expected throughout the opening stages of the race. Stage 4 saw her lose meaningful time in a time trial where her position was heavily discussed; whilst on stage 5 she did not have the legs to follow the explosive attacks of Demi Vollering.
“Beforehand, we talked about the ‘big three’, but she looked uncomfortable on the bike right from the start," Armstrong said of the time trial that swept the defending champion into the depths of the overall classification. "It was a sad day for them".
Demi Vollering in the meantime won stage 5 and is the rider that is in hot pursuit of the yellow jersey. "She looks very good, and those bonus seconds at the finish matter too. She managed to take another two seconds back there.”
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Marlen Reusser reminds Armstrong of Miguel Indurain
But Vollering has to take the yellow jersey from the shoulders of a Marlen Reusser at the top of her game. “When I look at her, she reminds me so much of one rider — and it is not a female rider, but a male rider. She reminds me so much of Miguel Indurain".
"She does not say much, she does not get out of the saddle, and she has that steady, cool, metronomic style. She does not panic. She can time trial and she can climb. She is not going to launch an immediate attack or make incredibly dynamic moves, but she does not need to".
On stage 4 Reusser moved into the race lead with a superb time trial triumph; and this Wednesday she convincingly responded to Vollering and Katarzynia Niewiadoma's attacks. Whilst the gap is small to the European Champion, it exists and she is able to race on the defensive.
“She looks at what happened earlier in the season. She looks at Paula Blasi, who won the Vuelta. She knows the numbers and thinks ‘wait a minute, I might as well ride for the general classification. Do not underestimate how much motivation that can give a rider. She has already finished second in both the Vuelta and the Giro, and she won the Tour de Suisse this year.”
The Swiss rider goes into the sixth day of racing still in the lead and in the form of her life. But on Friday, stage 7 will throw in the brutal Mont Ventoux into the mix.
“It is in everybody’s mind. It is the hardest climb in the country. Even when it is not scorching hot, it is still like an oven," Armstrong details. "And there are no hairpin bends, which normally give you that tiny moment of recovery because they flatten out slightly. Ventoux is one straight road going upwards. There is no mercy.”
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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