"Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, a potential game-changer, returns to the Tour de France Femmes road race"
In the world of professional cycling, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is a name synonymous with versatility and success. The French cyclist, who has made a mark across multiple disciplines including road cycling, mountain biking, and cyclo-cross, is now gearing up for a new challenge.
After a decade of focusing on off-road cycling, Ferrand-Prévot made a triumphant return to road racing in 2025, joining UCI Women’s World Tour team Visma–Lease a Bike. Her career highlights include being the first cyclist ever to hold the world championship titles simultaneously in road racing, cyclo-cross, and cross-country mountain biking in 2015 at age 23. She has earned multiple world titles across disciplines and won Olympic gold in cross-country mountain biking at the 2024 Paris Games.
A Win at the Tour de France Femmes
In her first season back on the road, Ferrand-Prévot achieved a remarkable feat by winning the Tour de France Femmes, becoming the first French woman to win the race since 1989. Her victory included winning demanding mountain stages and overall dominance, fulfilling a longstanding personal goal to win this prestigious event.
Ferrand-Prévot's career goals in the Tour de France Femmes were clear and ambitious: to win the race and reestablish herself on the road after success in other disciplines. The team and Ferrand-Prévot shared aligned ambitions, viewing her return to road racing as a major challenge and goal. She chose Visma because it had a team structure reminiscent of her early professional days, providing a familiar and supportive environment for her comeback. Her professionalism and clear focus on the Tour de France Femmes win impressed her team and were key to the success they achieved together.
The 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift
The field of yellow-jersey-contenders for the 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is particularly competitive. Defending champion Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) leads a strong team, while Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon//SRAM) aims to defend her title. SD Worx Protime has two GC cards to play in Anna van der Breggen and Lotte Kopecky.
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, a 15-time UCI Elite World Champion, has not discussed specific strategies or tactics she plans to employ during the race. However, she acknowledges the mental aspect of road cycling, stating that maintaining focus for extended periods can be challenging and requires a lot of mental energy.
Ferrand-Prévot has expressed that getting re-acquainted with the fast-moving peloton and familiarizing herself with the course have been significant challenges in her comeback. Despite this, she is excited to race in front of a French audience at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, as she had previously expressed a desire to participate in the Tour de France as a boy when she was younger.
Team manager Rutger Tijssen states that Ferrand-Prévot is physically and mentally ready for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. Her primary focus for the race is to gain experience and grow, rather than aiming for immediate victory.
The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift begins on Saturday, July 26, in Vannes, France. With Ferrand-Prévot returning to road racing, the race promises to be an exciting and challenging event for all competitors.
[1] BBC Sport. (2021). Pauline Ferrand-Prévot wins women's Tour de France. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/58158265
[2] Cycling Weekly. (2021). Pauline Ferrand-Prévot wins Tour de France Femmes with dominant final stage. [online] Available at: https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/racing-news/pauline-ferrand-prvot-wins-tour-de-france-femmes-with-dominant-final-stage-386139
[3] Cycling Weekly. (2021). Pauline Ferrand-Prévot: "I'm not here to just be a part of the Tour de France" [online] Available at: https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/racing-news/pauline-ferrand-prvot-im-not-here-to-just-be-a-part-of-the-tour-de-france-385578
[4] Cycling Weekly. (2021). Pauline Ferrand-Prévot: "I feel like I'm back home with Visma" [online] Available at: https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/racing-news/pauline-ferrand-prvot-i-feel-like-im-back-home-with-visma-385579
[5] Cycling Weekly. (2021). Pauline Ferrand-Prévot: "The Tour de France is my priority" [online] Available at: https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/racing-news/pauline-ferrand-prvot-the-tour-de-france-is-my-priority-385580
Sports have always played a significant role in Ferrand-Prévot's life, from her early days dreaming of participating in the Tour de France to her current status as a 15-time UCI Elite World Champion. In her comeback to road racing, she aims to gain experience and grow, focusing on the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift as her primary goal.
