“She's 33 years old” – Urska Zigart weighs in on Pauline Ferrand-Prevot’s weight loss

Urska Zigart begins her world championship campaign in Rwanda today, lining up for Slovenia in both the time trial and the road race. Too often introduced as Tadej Pogačar’s partner, she has steadily built her own career and enters the week determined to underline that fact. Ahead of the time trial, Zigart has been speaking about a different subject that has dominated women’s cycling this season, the debate surrounding Pauline Ferrand-Prévot’s Tour de France Femmes victory and the controversy over her weight loss. Zigart did not shy away from addressing it, drawing on her own experiences and underlining what she believes the conversation should really be about.

"I consider myself lucky to have had this experience before I got into professional cycling, so now I know the pitfalls and what I do and don't want," she told Siol. "I consider that a small blessing."

Zigart explained that the environment she developed in played a key role in her own outlook. "I think I've always been quite lucky in that regard with the teams and the environment I've been in. At GreenEdge the emphasis was always on eating enough. I never felt like anyone was pressuring us to be thinner than we were."

The debate about Ferrand-Prévot’s physique has rumbled all summer. The French rider, already a multiple world champion across disciplines, surprised fans with her form at the Tour, a few months after triumphing at Paris-Roubaix. Observers noted she had lost significant weight, and the issue quickly became a topic not just in the press but also within the peloton. Zigart believes the focus often misses the bigger picture. "It's important to realize, however, that no professional sport is healthy – unfortunately, that's just the way it is."

She added a blunt reminder about the limits of the body: "The body simply can't function normally if you eat too little. Not even in everyday life, let alone in sports where the demands are as extreme as cycling."

Zigart is not alone in voicing concerns. Demi Vollering, who finished second to Ferrand-Prévot at the Tour, reflected last month on the pressures female riders face. "I get it—this is sport. People are enthusiastic and have opinions. But let me be clear: I make, and will continue to make, every decision in my career by putting my health first. Always. The truth is: I’m not built to be the lightest rider in the peloton. And I don’t want to force my body to become something it’s not."

Vollering also spoke about the responsibility riders bear as role models. “Young girls are watching us. They notice what we say—and what we don’t. What we show. What gets celebrated as ‘the way’ to succeed. Sometimes, what they see quietly plants a seed. They might not talk about it. Or even realize it’s becoming something harmful. That’s why we—as high performance athletes, teams, and a sport—have a responsibility. We must create safe environments where athletes can ask questions, speak openly, and get the right guidance—especially young and developing riders. Because the risk is real. Because health isn’t always visible. Because disordered thinking can grow quietly and stay hidden for a long time."

Ferrand-Prévot herself has also pushed back against the scrutiny last month. “Guys, I'm 33 years old. I know what I'm doing," she said. "And for those who used to follow me, I've always had the habit of posting what I eat quite intuitively. But I admit that since this 'controversy,' I'm thinking twice before doing it, and that's not right."

Zigart welcomes the fact that the subject is being aired more openly, even if she disliked the way the discussion sometimes unfolded. "I think it's being talked about a lot more, especially after this year's Tour. Personally, I didn't like the discussion surrounding it, because the girls were turning on each other, and I don't think that's the right way to handle it."

Instead, she says the motivation behind an athlete’s choices should be better understood. "The key question, in my opinion, is why someone decides to lose weight," Zigart explained. "Pauline decided to do it because she was preparing for a specific goal: the Tour de France. She's 33 years old, has been a cyclist all her life, and knew exactly why she was doing it. For her, it wasn't an obsession with food or appearance, but a conscious choice related to her work."

Zigart stressed that Ferrand-Prévot’s decision cannot be treated as a model for younger cyclists. "Of course, it's not right to encourage all female cyclists to do this, but it's true that girls have now realized that this can be necessary to win the Tour."

She believes that balance and patience must come first in a rider’s career. "It's important to explain to them that the first few seasons are primarily about development, especially if they have support and a solid place in the team. First, you have to develop and be healthy, and only then can you think about optimizing in all areas."