It just hasn't been Kristen Faulkner's week. The reigning Olympic champion struggled with illness in the lead-up to the nine-day Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. And while she still took to the start of women's cycling's biggest event, she did so with less-than-ideal fitness and health.
Things only went downhill when racing got underway. The 32-year-old American was involved in two crashes in the first four stages, nearly missed the time cut on Stage 2, and has come out saying that every day has been 'a fight.'
Today, Faulkner once again hit the deck. This time during the neutral roll-out from Chasseneuil-du-Poitou. She abandoned two hours later.
"She gave everything to support her teammates, but will now return home to focus on rest and recovery. Wishing you all the best, champ," her team announced on social media.
The EF Education-Oatly rider had been tipped as one to watch this Tour, particularly in the early stages. Coming off a career-best season in 2024, where she stormed to a convincing Olympic road race title, Faulkner excels in punchy one-day terrain and aggressive breakaways, exactly the kind of racing featured in the Tour’s early stages. But her easily recognisable stars-and-stripes jersey, indicating her as the U.S. national champion, was only every seen at the back or in crashes.
Enduring five tough days in the saddle was hard enough, but doing it while exposed and vulnerable in the public eye made it even more emotionally draining.
“One thing about being in the spotlight, when you have a bad day, everyone sees it. It’s hard to show up when you feel terrible, let alone on international TV,” she said.
"Most people get to choose what moments they share on social media. For us racers, it’s just our raw selves, and we don’t get to choose what the cameras zoom in on or what people see.
"I hope it’s relatable, and reminds people that even the strongest struggle, whether you’re an Olympic medalist or not. Every champion, every leader, every Instagram model has moments like this. We’re all human."
She is far from the only rider to suffer misfortune. This year’s Tour has already been marked by a wave of withdrawals due to illness and injury, sidelining several top contenders, including Marlen Reusser (Movistar), Charlotte Kool (Picnic PostNL), Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ), and Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek).
The Tour de Frances Femmes avec Zwift continues tomorrow and is headed into the mountains. Stage 6 will be the first mountain day with the peloton tackling four categorised climbs on their 13.7-kilometre-route from Clermont-Ferrand to Ambert.
