Austrian mountain specialist Valentina Cavallar has not competed in a cycle race since the Tour de France Femmes. Her mother’s death has hit her hard. However, the circumstances surrounding a doping test carried out immediately after her mother’s death have also taken their toll. She shares this in an Instagram post on her profile:
Statement by Valentina Cavallar
Translation from English:
“For personal and family reasons, I had to bring my season to a premature end after this year’s Tour de France. I usually prefer to keep my private life out of the public eye, but I feel it’s important to share this. The loss of my mother in September has changed my outlook on life forever. You can spend such a large part of your life chasing goals, pushing yourself to the limit and measuring success by results, victories and achievements.
But when you lose a loved one, you realise how little any of that really matters in the end. Life isn’t about how much you achieve, how successful you become, or how many people know your name. It’s about the people you love, the moments you share, and the memories you create.
I’ve always known how important my family is to me. But I don’t think I ever really understood just how much they mean to me until I had to find out what life is like without my mum. This experience was made even harder by the fact that, just a few hours after my mother’s death, I had to undergo a doping test at home – in the room next to the one where she was lying.
I understand how important it is to keep sport clean, and I have always respected the responsibilities that come with being a professional sportsperson. But at that moment, naturally, I wasn’t thinking about cycling, competitions or my duties as an athlete. I was a daughter who had just lost her mother.
Having to undergo a doping test under these circumstances felt to me deeply painful, completely inappropriate and disrespectful towards my family. That moment made me reflect on how easily we forget that behind every athlete there is a human being – with a life of their own, a family and feelings that do not simply disappear as soon as the demands of professional sport take over.
"I believe in clean sport. But I also believe that humanity, compassion and respect must never be forgotten."
Valentina Cavallar’s career
Valentina Cavallar (born on 7 March 2001 in Vienna) is an Austrian cyclist and former rower. During her rowing career, she initially used cycling as a form of cross-training before later focusing entirely on cycling. In 2023, she attracted attention with strong results in international races, thereby establishing herself as a prospect for the professional ranks. In the 2024 season, she rode for Team Arkéa-B&B Hotels Women and took part in the Tour de France Femmes for the first time. There, she finished 22nd in the general classification and was named the most combative rider on the final stage. At the Tour Féminin International des Pyrénées, she stood on the podium twice. Cavallar has been under contract with Team SD Worx-Protime since 2026. This year, she finished the Giro d’Italia Femminile in 9th place overall and the Vuelta a España Femenina in 12th place.
Kristian Bauer
Editor
