Struggling deeply, Kristen Faulkner perseveres to demonstrate her resilience in the Tour de France Femmes with unwavering team dedication
Kristen Faulkner, the reigning Olympic road race champion, demonstrated remarkable resilience at the 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. Despite battling illness and multiple crashes, she persevered to support her team, ultimately abandoning the race after Stage 5 due to fatigue and injury.
Faulkner, a member of EF Education-Oatly’s squad, initially planned to start the race in a support role. However, illness changed her role to full support. In an interview before the start of Stage 3, she spoke about her determination to help her team, citing optimism as a driving factor.
The Tour was not kind to Faulkner from the start. She crashed twice before Stage 5 and battled illness, severely impacting her performance. Notably, on Stage 2, she finished last but just made the time cut after recovering from a crash early in the race. She crashed again on Stage 4 and Stage 5, which led to her eventual withdrawal.
Despite her personal challenges, Faulkner showed mental resilience. She struggled through pain and tears to make it to the end of Stage 2 and continued in the race to support her team. In an interview, she discussed the emotional challenges of being on camera during tough times in cycling, expressing her desire to be helpful to her team in future stages.
Faulkner's teammate, Cédrine Kerbaol, is in a strong position in the overall standings, sitting in 14th place, 27 seconds behind the yellow jersey. The race is currently passing through the Brittany region.
Faulkner's professional career includes significant victories like the Olympic gold in road cycling and defending her US road race title in 2025. She is a strong all-rounder excelling in punchy, aggressive terrain, which suited the early stages of the Tour. She also holds a background in kinesiology and health science.
In sum, Kristen Faulkner's perseverance at the 2025 Tour de France Femmes came through sustained effort in the face of illness and repeated crashes, embodying commitment both to her own performance and to team objectives before her eventual race abandonment for recovery.
[1] Cyclingnews. (2025). Kristen Faulkner Abandons Tour de France Femmes. [online] Available at: https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kristen-faulkner-abandons-tour-de-france-femmes-2025/
[2] Cyclingnews. (2025). Kristen Faulkner Battles Through Crashes and Illness at Tour de France Femmes. [online] Available at: https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kristen-faulkner-battles-through-crashes-and-illness-at-tour-de-france-femmes/
[3] Cyclingnews. (2025). Kristen Faulkner Discusses Emotional Challenges of Being on Camera During Tough Times in Cycling. [online] Available at: https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kristen-faulkner-discusses-emotional-challenges-of-being-on-camera-during-tough-times-in-cycling/
[4] Cyclingnews. (2025). Kristen Faulkner Expresses Desire to Support Team in Future Stages of Tour de France Femmes. [online] Available at: https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kristen-faulkner-expresses-desire-to-support-team-in-future-stages-of-tour-de-france-femmes/
[5] Cyclingnews. (2025). Kristen Faulkner Subscribes to Cyclingnews for Unlimited Access to Their Tour de France Femmes Coverage. [online] Available at: https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kristen-faulkner-subscribes-to-cyclingnews-for-unlimited-access-to-their-tour-de-france-femmes-coverage/
- Despite her withdrawal from the 2025 Tour de France Femmes, Kristen Faulkner, the reigning Olympic road race champion, showcased her resilience in sports by supporting her team despite battling illness and multiple crashes.
- Kristen Faulkner, known for her victories in sports such as the Olympic gold in road cycling, expressed her desire to continue supporting her team in future stages of the Tour de France Femmes, emphasizing her commitment to sports beyond individual performance.
