Tour de France 2025 participant, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, prepares her own La Madeleine delicacy and shockingly slams her table in the competition.
In the penultimate stage of the 2025 Women's Tour de France, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot of Visma-Lease a Bike demonstrated her dominance, winning stage 8 with a commanding mountain performance that created a significant time gap over her rivals [1]. This victory has further strengthened her overall lead, placing her in a favourable position heading into the final stage.
The final stage, a 124.1 km race from Praz-Sur-Arly to Châtel, includes two first-category climbs—the Col du Corbier and the mythical climb to Joux Plane—as well as an out of category ascent [2]. The Col du Corbier, a 5.8 km climb with an average gradient of 8.5%, emerges 25 km from the finish line [3]. Joux Plane, a colossal obstacle of 11.6 km of climbing with the same average gradient, serves as a mid-point in the final stage [4].
Ferrand-Prevot's main challenge in the final stage is to defend her substantial lead against any late attacks or time gains by riders like Demi Vollering and Yara Kastelijn, who finished close behind on stage 8 but lost time [1][3]. The stage may not be as mountainous or decisive as stage 8, so Ferrand-Prevot must maintain her focus and team support to hold her advantage and secure overall victory in the Tour [1].
The final stage tests Ferrand-Prevot's resistance as she is one step away from becoming the first Frenchwoman to win the Tour de France in 36 years [5]. The current leader already holds multiple cycling titles, including being world champion in road, mountain, and cyclo-cross, as well as Olympic champion [6].
The race has not been without its drama. Kimberley Le Court, an early contender for the yellow jersey, lost her lead during the stage and suffered a fall 64 km from the finish [7]. Ferrand-Prevot managed to join Gigante in a solo duo and dropped her rival to take the yellow jersey [8]. Gigante had earlier attacked during the climb, causing a gap that led to the first casualties [9].
As the race approaches its conclusion, all eyes will be on Ferrand-Prevot as she aims to solidify her lead during the final stage and secure her place in cycling history.
[1] New York Times [2] Official Tour de France Website [3] Cycling News [4] BBC Sport [5] Le Monde [6] Cycling Weekly [7] CNBC [8] ESPN [9] Velonews
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, with her average performance in sports, is expected to showcase her resilience in the final stage of the 2025 Women's Tour de France, where she plans to defend her lead against sports rivals like Demi Vollering and Yara Kastelijn, particularly during the challenging climbs of Col du Corbier and Joux Plane. However, the stage may not be as decisive as previous ones, making it crucial for her to maintain focus and team support to secure an average time in the race and ultimately win the Tour de France.
