Veronica Ewers will step away from elite cycling to continue her recovery from RED-S, her team EF Education-Oatly confirmed on Tuesday. The 31-year-old and the team reached a mutual agreement to prioritize her long-term well-being and health.
"The team has given me time to recover, but unfortunately, it hasn't been enough time for my body to heal fully," Ewers said in a team press release.
"Now is the time to focus on my health because if I don't, then I will continue to be stuck in a healing body that can't perform nor fully heal. If I ever want to perform at the top level again, I need to take the time to fully recover and then compete in a fully functional body.
"I'd like to thank the team for listening to me and supporting my decision to regain my health."
Ewers has managed RED-S throughout her six-year career, during which she spent the first two seasons racing for Fount Cycling Guild and TIBCO-SVB before signing with rebranded EF Education-Tibco-SVB, and then EF Education-Oatly, in the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
She took a short hiatus from the sport in 2024 to support her RED-S recovery, and according to EF Education-Oatly, returned to competition nine months later under medical and nutrition staff supervision to monitor her symptoms and support her continued recovery.
"Veronica has been diligent throughout the recovery process and has worked hard to rebuild her health. She has done everything within her power to support her recovery while remaining a committed teammate both on and off the bike," the team wrote.
However, the team also stated that bloodwork performed by her personal nutritionist revealed she was still showing hormonal values consistent with RED-S. A mutual decision was then agreed upon for EF Education-Oatly to release Ewers her from her contract so she could take time to fully recover.
RED-S, or Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, occurs when the body doesn’t get enough energy from food to fuel both the demands of exercise and essential daily functions like breathing, digestion, and repairing tissues and can lead to serious physical and mental health problems, according to Project RED-S. Physical symptoms include unexplained fatigue, low energy, and persistent illness and injuries.
"The health and long-term well-being of our riders is always our top concern, and that is what guided this difficult decision," said EF Education–Oatly General Manager Esra Tromp.
"Veronica has shown immense courage and dedication, and we are committed to supporting her as she focuses on her health. We hope to see Veronica healthy again very soon."
Ewers turned heads on the cycling scene after securing the bronze medal in the elite women's road race at the USA Cycling Pro Road Championships in Knoxville in June of 2021. She went on to finish second overall at the Joe Martin Stage Race and fifth overall at Tour de l'Ardeche before jumping to the WorldTour in 2022.
During that season, Ewers won a stage at the Festival Elsy Jacobs and the one-day Navarra Women's Elite Classics, and finished ninth overall at the Tour de France Femmes, second at the one-day races Giro dell'Emilia and Tre Valli Varesine, and fifth overall at the Tour de Romandie.
She continued to solidify her status as one of the top riders from the US, finishing fourth overall at the Giro d'Italia in 2023, but took a hiatus the following year due to her struggle with RED-S. Although she returned to the peloton nine months later, she had not made it back to her previous form.
Ewers has not ruled out racing again, but will approach her health with caution and focus on her recovery before making any further decisions.
