Women's cycling wants to break the last taboo and at the Tour de France, the yellow jersey decided to speak openly about menstruation. Kim Le Court, after crossing the finish line and taking the lead in the general classification, wanted to talk about the discomfort she experienced during the race and how her body was more tired because she was in that time of the month when she had her period. For many men, this topic might seem uninteresting, uncomfortable, or inappropriate, or useful for labeling women athletes as problematic and weak, while this should be considered as a phase that every woman regularly experiences.

It's not the first time the women's group has brought up the topic of menstruation and decided to talk about it openly. Demi Vollering, after finishing third in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, had stated that hormones were against her, and Lotte Kopecky, in a sanitary pad advertisement, had talked about cycle anxiety when cycling.

Jolien D'Hoore, a former cyclist and sports director of AG Insurance-Soudal, Kim Le Court's team, wanted to share her experience at the Tour, explaining how the topic of menstruation was something that had to remain hidden when she was racing.

"I notice an enormous difference compared to when I was a cyclist" - said Jolien D'Hoore - "even though I retired only five years ago. At the time, it was a taboo to talk about it. Many did not have their period, partly due to intense training and low body fat percentage, and if they did, they wouldn't say it. Now we talk about it openly, and as a team, we show understanding and try to find solutions together with our athletes."

Many female cyclists feel uncomfortable talking about their menstrual period, afraid of not being understood or even ridiculed by the male audience, who would consider them less strong because of it. Having the yellow jersey publicly addressing a topic like menstruation certainly has an important media impact. The group reports discomfort when, due to stress, the body does not react adequately, and the first warning sign comes with a complete interruption of the cycle or significant irregularity.

Sometimes the arrival of the cycle can be seen as a positive event, a positive manifestation of the body. The taboo was completely broken by Canadian Magdeleine Vallieres from the EF Education Oatly team, who had her menstrual cycle naturally for the first time in six years just a week before the Tour de France started. She and her teammates went to a bakery to buy a cake to celebrate what had happened. This is to say that in sports, due to various factors, there can also be a complete absence of the menstrual cycle, and this causes discomfort.

What the cyclists ultimately ask for is greater understanding and attention, because too often they have to remain silent in an environment that is still too masculine.

Sarah Tertyschnikow from the women's association Rebelle vzw thanked Kim Le Court for addressing a discussion that concerns the entire female world. "Women need a safe environment where they can say without shame that the menstrual cycle disturbs them, without being ridiculed. It's important that women feel free to talk about it in the workplace, regardless of the sector."

According to historian Kaat Wils from the University of Leuven, addressing the topic freely is the first step in moving away from the historical association: menstruation = weakness. "In the past, women were considered reproducers who had to give birth. Menstruation was so important to the elite and intellectuals that women were generally not allowed to do anything during their cycle" - explained Professor Wils -. "This created the image that women could do nothing during their cycle. That's why they learned to hide their cycle and pretend not to have it, so as not to appear weak. Only now are we beginning to see women as strong and capable, even if they can still suffer due to their cycle."

It is useless to deny that in sports, some women experience physical discomfort during their menstrual period, but today, thanks to studies on the subject, it is possible to alleviate or resolve some alterations. "During my cycle, my body temperature is higher, which makes it harder for me to sleep" - explained Justine Ghekiere from AG Insurance-Soudal - "That's why we have special mattresses. We have mattress covers where we can adjust the temperature, which are very useful for those who have a temperature rise during their cycle."

The Tour de France and its media world have provided an opportunity to talk about menstruation naturally, which does not happen in other sports.
It is known that in some sports, there is even a pharmacological interruption of the cycle to avoid interference with sports performance. In the past, particularly between the 1970s and 1990s, gymnastics altered the female metabolism, with hormonal processes leading to a complete interruption of the menstrual cycle. Today we are used to seeing athletes who are also mothers and who manage to achieve important results even after giving birth. The associations dealing with women's health have welcomed the way cycling is addressing the problem and hope that the menstruation issue continues to receive the right attention, precisely to safeguard women's health.