"Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Tadej Pogačar, winners of the Tour de France, find inspiration in each other's advice and share a celebratory bike ride together post-victory"
In the world of professional cycling, three names that have been making headlines recently are Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, Tadej Pogacar, and Urška Žigart. These cycling stars, hailing from France and Slovenia, have been celebrated for their exceptional performances in various disciplines.
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, a French cyclist, is renowned for her versatility and talent, excelling in road racing, mountain biking, cyclo-cross, and gravel. She made history by simultaneously holding world titles in road race, cyclo-cross, and cross-country mountain biking in 2015. This year, she added another significant achievement to her list by winning the Tour de France Femmes, becoming the first Frenchwoman since 1989 to claim this prestigious title.
Tadej Pogacar, a Slovenian cyclist, has made a name for himself on the men's side, winning the Tour de France an impressive four times by 2025. His back-to-back wins have helped highlight cycling’s global appeal, complementing Ferrand-Prevot's achievements in women's racing and creating a narrative of two homegrown cycling champions celebrated in the same season in France.
Urška Žigart, another Slovenian cyclist, is a strong road racer who, while not directly connected to Ferrand-Prevot or Pogacar in the available search results, is considered a prominent figure in women’s cycling. She often appears in elite races alongside other top professionals.
The connection and celebration between these three cyclists arose primarily from their shared visibility and success in elite professional cycling at a peak time. Both Ferrand-Prevot and Pogacar won Tour de France titles in 2025, with Pogacar winning his fourth men's (on a historically significant anniversary) and Ferrand-Prevot making history as the first Frenchwoman to win the Tour de France Femmes. This parallel victory drew national pride and renewed French enthusiasm for cycling.
In a heartwarming moment, Ferrand-Prevot shared a photo on Instagram of herself with Pogacar and Žigart after her first ride post-Tour. Pogacar also reshared the photo to his Instagram story, indicating a mutual respect and camaraderie between the three athletes.
Ferrand-Prevot joked about asking Pogacar for a photo due to his status as a big star in men's cycling, and Pogacar shared some advice with Ferrand-Prevot after her Tour de France win. Interestingly, Ferrand-Prevot's success in the Tour de France Femmes has garnered more attention in France than Pogacar's Tour wins.
This year, Ferrand-Prevot joined the club of Tour winners, a feat that has been celebrated not only in France but worldwide. Her performance is exceptional for French cycling and a great moment for women's cycling globally. Chris Froome, Romain Bardet, Bernard Hinault, and Richard Virenque are among the male pros who have congratulated Ferrand-Prevot on her success. Froome said Ferrand-Prevot's strength, determination, and class throughout the week are inspiring, and her performance is exceptional for French cycling and a great moment for women's cycling worldwide.
A special feature in L'Équipe also features messages of congratulations from several male pro cyclists. The celebration of these cycling icons underscores the growing recognition and appreciation for women's cycling, as well as the continued success of French and Slovenian cycling on both the men's and women's sides.
[1] Pauline Ferrand-Prevot
[2] Tadej Pogačar
[3] Urška Žigart
[4] Tour de France Femmes 2025
[5] Celebrating the 2025 Tour de France Winners
Road cycling is a popular sports category in which Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, Tadej Pogačar, and Urška Žigart have achieved significant success. Ferrand-Prevot won the Tour de France Femmes 2025, becoming the first Frenchwoman to do so and earning a global celebration for her exceptional performance in women's road cycling.
