Interview: Stephan Klemm
TOUR: Pauline, last year you won the Tour de France Femmes in commanding fashion. What’s the first thing that springs to mind when you look back on your triumph?
FERRAND-PRÉVOT: There’s no doubt about it: the support of the French public. When I won the mountain bike event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the French people gave me tremendous support too. But during the Tour, it was even more intense. It’s incredible to see the impact my Tour victory had on the French public. That’s also what’s motivating me for this summer, for the 2026 Tour. Actually, I generally do the gruelling preparation for my own sake. But after last year’s experiences, I’m also doing it for the people in France who support me, whether they’re sitting in front of the telly or standing at the side of the road.
TOUR: You’re a versatile cyclist, successful on the road, on a mountain bike, in cyclo-cross and in gravel races. But did you ever think you might one day win the Tour de France?
FERRAND-PRÈVOT: No. Never. I’ve certainly dreamt of it. But I wouldn’t have expected that dream to come true. For me personally, it’s all about really giving it my all – 100 per cent. Then, when I’m on the start line, I can be calm. I can tell myself that I gave it my all in the run-up to the race. That’s how it was last year at the Tour.
TOUR: Does the realisation that you’ve already won the Tour take some of the pressure off you this summer?
FERRAND-PRÈVOT: I try to start from scratch every season. I don’t dwell on what’s happened in the past, what I’ve achieved or failed at. I don’t want to live in the past and tell myself that I’ve achieved something great and can therefore rest on my laurels. That’s not who I am. Instead, I give 100 per cent once again. Full steam ahead towards one goal: victory in the Tour.
TOUR: When your victory was confirmed last year following your second stage win at Châtel-Portes du Soleil, you were immediately handed a telephone. On the other end of the line was President Emmanuel Macron. What were you thinking at that moment?
FERRAND-PRÈVOT: It was quite strange for me. I wasn’t exactly in top form, as the stage had only just finished. On the one hand, I was very tired; on the other, I was completely elated. The fact that I then had Emmanuel Macron on the phone was completely surreal. I didn’t know what to say. I don’t even know what’s best to say – or not to say – in moments like that. I was a bit taken aback, but I politely thanked him for his congratulations. It was like a reflex.
TOUR: This phone call illustrates just how important your Tour victory was to your compatriots. You were subsequently hailed in the French media as the one who had broken a curse. Bernard Hinault was the last Frenchman to win the Tour in 1985, whilst Jeannie Longo won the final edition of the predecessor event, the Tour de France féminin, in 1989. Then came you, after decades of waiting for France, a nation of cycling enthusiasts. How did you take all this praise?
FERRAND-PRÈVOT: You honour and move me. It’s wonderful to fill France with pride. I never thought I’d reach this level of prominence. I was also recently voted France’s most popular female sportswoman. That’s really something special, because it goes beyond cycling. My increased profile is a wonderful thing, but it can also be a distraction. I’m often approached during training to take photos with fans or sign autographs. But I also sense that people are very friendly and helpful towards me. I enjoy that.
TOUR: You’re asked to pose for photos not only during training, but especially before races and on your way to the starting line. How do you deal with that?
FERRAND-PRÈVOT: I find it frustrating that I sometimes have to turn down requests like that before a race. Before the start, I need to concentrate and prepare myself mentally and physically. I’d like things to be different. But unfortunately, that’s not possible.
In 2028, the men’s tour will start in your home town of Reims. Is this a tribute to you and your achievements?
FERRAND-PRÈVOT It’s quite impressive that the Tour starts in the city where I was born. But I suppose that’s more of a coincidence. Reims is a wonderful, beautiful city. There are some fantastic routes in the surrounding area. In that respect, it’s going to be a brilliant start to the Tour.
TOUR: Your Olympic victory in 2024 was the fulfilment of a long-held dream for you. So was your Tour victory. How do you rank these two achievements?
FERRAND-PRÈVOT: Winning at the Paris Games was very important to me, as I’d tried a few times before, without success, to finish at the top at the Olympics. On top of that, it was a home event for me. Ultimately, given people’s expectations, I had no choice but to win. The pressure was immense. At last year’s Tour – it was my first, after all – I wasn’t quite sure what I was capable of. I was ready and thoroughly prepared. But the pressure was significantly lower. I’d told myself: take it easy. If you don’t win, it’s no big deal at all. But if I hadn’t won at the Games in Paris, it would have been a disaster. A win was a must for me there.
TOUR: You both won the mountain stages at the 2025 Tour. Not all of your rivals would have given you the credit for that. Did you believe in yourselves?
FERRAND-PRÈVOT: Yes and no. I knew I was capable of anything if I was fully prepared. But in the end, I impressed even myself. I was particularly surprised that I won the penultimate stage up the Col de la Madeleine by such a huge margin, finishing almost two minutes ahead of the runner-up.
TOUR: German professional cyclist Liane Lippert says that once you’ve set yourself a goal, you give it your all to achieve it. Is she right?
FERRAND-PRÈVOT: She has. I really am extreme. I can’t get through the season and say, ‘It’s just a hobby.’ I can’t live with not winning. For me, success comes before everything else. That goes for the upcoming tour as well.
TOUR: Do you find it difficult to make the necessary sacrifices? All that gruelling training, the long periods spent training at altitude?
FERRAND-PRÈVOT: For me, preparing for the Tour isn’t a sacrifice. In fact, it’s actually the part I enjoy the most. I’ve been looking forward to the moment when I could start preparing for the tour. I’ve owned a house in Andorra for some time now. That makes altitude training all the more bearable for me.
TOUR: You love training on your own. Why is that?
FERRAND-PRÈVOT: Because that’s the best way for me to focus on my goal. I can set my own schedule without having to consult anyone else. I also feel free and liberated, able to follow my own path without having to make any compromises.
TOUR: A year ago, you looked incredibly slim at the Tour, which sparked a debate about weight in women’s cycling. How did you react to that?
FERRAND-PRÈVOT: First of all, I would like to emphasise that I work closely with the team’s nutritionists and always maintain close contact and dialogue with the staff. Otherwise, on this subject, I would like to say that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. The comments did not affect or hurt me personally. But they did, however, affect me when it came to my family – particularly because of my parents. It is not particularly pleasant to have to read and hear all these comments about one’s own daughter’s weight.
TOUR: So does that mean you’ll be back on the starting line of the Tour in Lausanne in the same form and condition?
FERRAND-PRÈVOT: I’ve got the hang of it now and know what I need to put in to perform well. This approach works for me, but not necessarily for all my female colleagues. I know what I’m doing. And I know how far I can go.
TOUR: Last year, the Tour went up the Col de la Madeleine; this time, the challenge is to conquer Mont Ventoux. Are you familiar with this mountain?
FERRAND-PRÈVOT: I’ve known him for quite some time. But at the start of the season, I took another look at everything. It’s brilliant that we women now have him on the programme. I’m ready. It’s going to be a great fight.
TOUR: Your results in the spring were strong, but not exceptional. Things didn’t go well for you at Liège–Bastogne–Liège and the Vuelta. You were clearly left behind on both occasions …
FERRAND-PRÈVOT: ... yes, but I don’t regret it. I knew I couldn’t win either in Liège or in the Vuelta. For me, it was about being there for my team. And for me personally, these races were part of my journey towards peak form for the Tour.
TOUR: Dutch cyclist Demi Vollering has not only won the Tour of Flanders, but also the Giro d’Italia Women in June. Do you regard Vollering as your main rival in the Tour?
FERRAND-PRÈVOT: Yes. But I’ve also got Anna van der Breggen, Marlen Reusser and Kasia Niewadoma on my list. Demi, though, is particularly impressive. She always manages to be fully on form. In every race she competes in, she delivers. That’s spectacular. She’s also in top form all year round. I admire that, because I’m not capable of it myself. It’s a huge achievement, not just physically but mentally as well.
TOUR: How can you beat Vollering?
FERRAND-PRÈVOT: By being better. That’s the trick (laughs).
TOUR: What other career goals would you like to achieve?
FERRAND-PRÈVOT I’m really keen to compete at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. In the road race. My next major goal is to improve in the time trial. The fourth stage of the Tour is a time trial, 21 kilometres. It’s a discipline that’s very close to my heart. The effort lasts between 30 and 40 minutes, which is similar to what I’m used to from mountain biking. The strongest rider wins. That was my biggest challenge during my preparation.
TOUR: How do you view the development of women’s cycling in general?
FERRAND-PRÈVOT: The importance and popularity of women’s cycling have grown enormously. Year on year, we see more and more spectators lining the roadsides. The TV viewing figures for the Women’s Tour are outstanding. We have taken a huge step forward. We are living in a golden age of women’s cycling.
TOUR: Have salaries also risen accordingly?
FERRAND-PRÈVOT: I only know what my own salary is, but overall I’d say: yes, I think so.
You have extended your contract with Visma-Lease a Bike until 2028. You will be 36 years old at the end of 2028. Will you be bringing your career to an end then as well?
FERRAND-PRÈVOT: That’s the plan for now. But you never know what might happen.
TOUR: Do you have any plans for life after your career?
FERRAND-PRÈVOT: I’d like to start a family and become a mum. My fiancé, Dylan van Baarle, is a professional cyclist too. We’re the same age. So I’m sure we can work something out (laughs). Otherwise, I’m not quite sure where my journey will take me once my career is over. But I’ll carry on training to stay fit. I’ll also try to live a healthy lifestyle and spend more time with my family.
About the person
PAULINE FERRAND-PRÉVOT
Nationality French woman
Born 10 February 1992 in Reims
Teams Rabobank (2012 to 2016); Canyon/SRAM Racing (2017 to 2020); Absolute-Absalon (2021); BMC MTB Racing (2022); Ineos Grenadiers MTB (2023 to 2024); Visma-Lease a Bike (since 2025, contract until 2028)
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
Street Overall classification and two stages of the Tour de France Femmes (2025); World Champion (2014); Paris–Roubaix (2025); Flèche Wallonne (2014)
Mountain bike Olympic champion (2024); World Cross-Country Champion (2015, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023); World Short Track Champion (2022, 2023); World Champion in the marathon (2019, 2022); World Champion in the relay (2014, 2015, 2026)
Cyclo-cross World Champion (2015)
Gravel World Champion (2022)
BIOGRAPHY
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is arguably the most versatile professional cyclist in the world at present. She has won world championship titles in every discipline of her sport except track cycling. Her crowning achievement was victory in the Tour de France in August 2025. The fact that she significantly reduced her weight for the Tour was the subject of heated debate, particularly amongst her fellow female cyclists. Ferrand-Prévot has won a total of 15 World Championship titles, making her one of the most successful female cyclists of all time. At the start of 2025, she switched to road cycling. In France, Ferrand-Prévot – whose parents once ran a cycling school in Reims – is a superstar and hugely popular due to her down-to-earth nature. She is engaged to the Dutch professional cyclist Dylan van Baarle, who rides for Team Soudal-Quick Step.
