Cycling legend Jeannie Longo, one of France’s most decorated athletes, has broken her silence in an emotional moment that has shaken the cycling world. Speaking to the press after a recent stage of the Tour de France Femmes, Longo expressed deep disappointment over what she described as a growing trend of forgetting the past – including her own historic victories.

“Oh, it feels like we’re being trampled on,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion. For Longo, this wasn’t just a passing slight or an oversight. It was a powerful symbol of something larger: the erasure of a generation of pioneering female cyclists who helped pave the way for today’s athletes.

Longo, who claimed multiple world titles and Olympic medals throughout her career, including a landmark victory in the original version of the women’s Tour de France, has long been an advocate for recognition and respect in women’s cycling. Seeing her name – and that of her contemporaries – omitted from conversations around the sport’s history has clearly left a deep scar.

“To sweat, to suffer, to triumph on those same roads – and now to feel invisible… it hurts,” she added. “It’s not just about me. It’s about every woman who gave everything when the world barely looked.”

Her comments have reignited debate over how female athletes are remembered — or forgotten — in the historical narrative of professional cycling. While the rebirth of the Tour de France Femmes has been celebrated, some critics argue that the sport still struggles to properly honor its past and the women who built its foundation.

Supporters and fellow athletes have since voiced solidarity with Longo. Social media buzzed with tributes and renewed calls for better archival coverage, more inclusive commentary, and formal recognition of early women’s racing history.

As women’s cycling continues to grow in popularity and visibility, Longo’s words serve as both a reminder and a warning: progress without memory risks repeating the same mistakes — and leaving behind those who came before.