Tour de France women: the extreme thinness of the runners pushes certain cyclists to draw the alarm signal

The extreme thinness of several runners of the Tour is debated within the peloton where doctors. For example, nutritionists are concerned about the long -term consequences on the health of athletes who are above all women.

The worrying remarks made Wednesday by the Frenchman Cédrine Kerbaol in the columns of humanity. Meanwhile, at the microphone of France Television resounded as an alert on Wednesday from the sixth stage in Clermont-Ferrand. “Before being athletes, we are also women and our health counts for now, but it counts for the future too. Furthermore, And what is happening right now is not terrible”worried about the first French stage winner (last year) tour de france women: extreme in the. Moreover, Tour since its rebirth four years ago.

“The damage caused is sometimes very heavy” – Tour de france women: extreme

“The more we lower the weight. Consequently, the more we increase the power weight ratio, but it is not without consequences, the damage caused by the energy deficit is sometimes very heavy”is alarmed the medical manager of a team. “There are many girls who have won large races with a very light weight and. indirectly, young girls who try to perform will take them for example“, Repeated on Wednesday in the Kerbaol interview zone, who underwent a nutritionist training before being a professional cyclist.

The message of the best young (white jersey) from Tour-2023. is “great,” said the doctor of the Cofidis Mathieu Muller team: “Whether it’s a runner who launches the alert, it has much more impact than if it came from a doctor. A too low fat mass leads to tour de france women: extreme what is called the sports triad. that is to say the energy supply deficit which leads to the absence of rules and then to osteoporosis “.

Osteoporosis and fracture risks

A problem that men do not have. “We should not be surprised if. one day, a runner fractures the cervical and finds himself paraplegic”is alarmed another medical source. “The consequence is bone, digestive, cutaneous and psychiatric problems, such as depression”, Note Doctor Muller.

For doctors interviewed the runners can be sharpened for a few weeks. but beyond a certain duration it becomes “Very problematic” From a medical point of view. According to them. the runners should therefore set two or three objectives per season and the rest of the year take absolutely a few pounds “If we put on the long term”.

Four kilos lost by Pauline Ferrand-Prévot before the round

Between her victory during Paris-Roubaix. the departure tour de france women: extreme of the Tour, the Frenchwoman Pauline Ferrand-Prévot said she lost four kilos. “But more, it is absolutely not possible”, said the 2024 Olympic mountain bike champion on the eve of departure. The doctor of another team pleads to impose a minimum fat mass. while challenging the UCI to set up a protocol.

Cédrine Kerbaol notes that the runners of the best teams are supervised by nutritionists. doctors, which is not the case for all a series of cyclists who are starting. In “a prevention perspective”. La Bretonne has just created an Instagram account named Feed_Powr (Fueling for Endurance, Energy, and Durability) in order to warn young people.

“With the Tour, we are in a moment of great visibility. Future cyclists see very lean current stars by thinking that it is normal. But it is not normal to have delusional bones at 20 years”she repeated on Wednesday in Puy-de-Dôme.