{"id":2070176,"date":"2026-07-30T11:10:45","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T08:10:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2070176"},"modified":"2026-07-30T11:10:45","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T08:10:45","slug":"i-pick-my-battle-and-i-choose-the-tour-de-france-forget-year-long-dominance-pauline-ferrand-prevot-is-all-about-delivering-when-it-counts-most","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2070176","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;I pick my battle, and I choose the Tour de France&#8217; \u2013 Forget year-long dominance, Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot is all about delivering when it counts most"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LwGNhVYdXrv3dnnhovVZoi-2560-80.png&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"m-0 box-border flex flex-row items-center pr-2.5 gap-[15px] w-[278px] h-20 flex-none upnext-article-divider\" role=\"listitem\" aria-label=\"Recommended article 1 of 3\">\n<div class=\"relative flex-none w-20 h-20\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/hwq4f3gy8aQDoDq83JVD5U-160-80.jpg.webp 160w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/hwq4f3gy8aQDoDq83JVD5U-80-80.jpg.webp 80w\" sizes=\"80px\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex items-center justify-center absolute w-4 h-6 left-0 top-0 bg-white\/90 flex-none z-[1]\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span class=\"font-normal text-base leading-[17px] tracking-[1.3px] uppercase text-black flex-none\">1<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-1.5 w-[173px] h-20 flex-none\">\n<p class=\"font-article-heading font-medium text-base leading-[21px] text-gray-800 w-[173px] line-clamp-3 group-hover:underline\">\n                                    Eight conclusions from the Tour de France \u2013 A new Poga\u010dar, Evenepoel&#8217;s next challenge and questions over racing in July\n                                <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"m-0 box-border flex flex-row items-center pr-2.5 gap-[15px] w-[278px] h-20 flex-none upnext-article-divider\" role=\"listitem\" aria-label=\"Recommended article 2 of 3\">\n<div class=\"relative flex-none w-20 h-20\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/x2erRPrkRHSd8wS8rNtXkN-160-80.jpg.webp 160w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/x2erRPrkRHSd8wS8rNtXkN-80-80.jpg.webp 80w\" sizes=\"80px\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex items-center justify-center absolute w-[18px] h-6 left-0 top-0 bg-white\/90 flex-none z-[1]\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span class=\"font-normal text-base leading-[17px] tracking-[1.3px] uppercase text-black flex-none\">2<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-1.5 w-[173px] h-20 flex-none\">\n<p class=\"font-article-heading font-medium text-base leading-[21px] text-gray-800 w-[173px] line-clamp-3 group-hover:underline\">\n                                    Tour de France Femmes contenders \u2013 Demi Vollering and Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot poised for fantastic duel with Ventoux finale\n                                <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"m-0 box-border flex flex-row items-center pr-2.5 gap-[15px] w-[278px] h-20 flex-none\" role=\"listitem\" aria-label=\"Recommended article 3 of 3\">\n<div class=\"relative flex-none w-20 h-20\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/hR7NGbgjrJkexsJ9woJGzc-160-80.jpg.webp 160w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/hR7NGbgjrJkexsJ9woJGzc-80-80.jpg.webp 80w\" sizes=\"80px\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex items-center justify-center absolute w-[18px] h-6 left-0 top-0 bg-white\/90 flex-none z-[1]\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span class=\"font-normal text-base leading-[17px] tracking-[1.3px] uppercase text-black flex-none\">3<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-1.5 w-[173px] h-20 flex-none\">\n<p class=\"font-article-heading font-medium text-base leading-[21px] text-gray-800 w-[173px] line-clamp-3 group-hover:underline\">\n                                    &#8216;I&#8217;ve shown I deserve to dream&#8217; &#8211; Remco Evenepoel says second place in Tour de France confirms belief as he pursues future Grand Tour victories\n                                <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"page-content-onecol flex-1\nnews-article article\n\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"widget-area-group widget-area-group-2col flex flex-wrap box-border\">\n<div id=\"widgetArea16\" class=\"widget-area basis-full md:basis-2\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-2-3 page-widget-area-16\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"hero\" id=\"hero\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-hero widget-hero widget-hero-hero widget-hero widget-hero-fter-news\">\n<div class=\"news-article\">\n<header data-component-name=\"Article:Hero\">\n<nav class=\"breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol>\n<li>\nPro Cycling\n<\/li>\n<li>\nRacing\n<\/li>\n<li>\nWomen&#8217;s Cycling\n<\/li>\n<li>\nRoad\n<\/li>\n<li>\nTour de France Femmes\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h1>&#8216;I pick my battle, and I choose the Tour de France&#8217; \u2013 Forget year-long dominance, Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot is all about delivering when it counts most<\/h1>\n<div class=\"byline-social\">\n<div class=\"vds-byline-block flex flex-row flex-nowrap my-1.5 gap-2 text-left items-start justify-start\" data-component-name=\"Article:BylineBlock\">\n<p>Features<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-auto vds-simple-byline\"><span class=\"inline-block vds-author\"><br \/>\nBy<br \/>\nSimone Giuliani <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex gap-1 vds-byline-with-avatar__meta\"><span class=\"vds-date block font-normal tracking-normal normal-case text-xs\"><br \/>\nPublished<br \/>\n<time data-component-name=\"UI:DateTime\" datetime=\"2026-07-30T11:10:45Z\" class=\"relative-date\"><br \/>\n30 July 2026<br \/>\n<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"strapline\">The French racer&#8217;s unconventional path toward an attempted title defence on a course with the unfamiliar discipline of time trialling thrown in<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"text-gray-700 flex items-center mx-0 my-5 p-0 justify-start text-left\" id=\"affiliate-disclaimer\" data-component-name=\"AffiliateDisclaimer\" data-hawk-message=\"Affiliate disclaimer removed because hawk deemed there are no affiliate links on this page\">\n<p class=\"text-[color:var(--affiliate-disclaimer--text-color,inherit)] mb-2 text-[length:var(--affiliate-disclaimer--font-size,0.75rem)] leading-[18px] md:text-[13px] [&amp;&gt;a]:text-inherit [&amp;&gt;a]:underline\">\nWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here\u2019s how it works.\n<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-widget-type=\"contentparsed\" id=\"content\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-contentparsed widget-content widget-contentparsed-content widget-content-parsed widget-content-parsed-content_document \">\n<div class=\"wcp-item-content\">\n<section class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"box less-space hero-image-wrapper\">\n<figure class=\"mb-0\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LwGNhVYdXrv3dnnhovVZoi-1920-80.png.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LwGNhVYdXrv3dnnhovVZoi-1600-80.png.webp 1600w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LwGNhVYdXrv3dnnhovVZoi-1200-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LwGNhVYdXrv3dnnhovVZoi-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LwGNhVYdXrv3dnnhovVZoi-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LwGNhVYdXrv3dnnhovVZoi-750-80.png.webp 750w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LwGNhVYdXrv3dnnhovVZoi-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LwGNhVYdXrv3dnnhovVZoi-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LwGNhVYdXrv3dnnhovVZoi-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 600px, 100vw\" \/><figcaption class=\"font-article-copy text-(--image--text--color) font-article-copy mt-2\"><span class=\"credit font-article-copy\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\" class=\"text-copy bodyCopy auto paywall-locker\">\n<div data-analytics-id=\"utility-bar\" id=\"utility-bar\" class=\"font-ui-heading flex justify-between items-center py-2 border-t border-b border-gray-300 border-solid mb-5 mx-auto\" data-component-name=\"UtilityBar\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"utility-bar\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div data-component-name=\"Social:Dropdown\" role=\"menu\" id=\"utilitybar__dropdown--share\" aria-labelledby=\"utilitybar__button--share\" class=\"absolute left-0 top-full w-44 bg-white rounded-md shadow-md border border-neutral-200 z-[9996] list-none m-0 py-2 px-3 border-solid\">\n<ul class=\"m-0!\">\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Facebook<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>X<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Pinterest<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Email<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-share-this-article\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nShare this article\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\"><span class=\"ml-1 inline-flex h-5 px-2 shrink-0 items-center justify-center self-center overflow-hidden whitespace-nowrap rounded-[10px] bg-primary-500 text-[11px] leading-none font-ui-heading font-semibold text-white\">3<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-join-the-conversation\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nJoin the conversation\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<p>Follow us<\/p>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-add-us-as-a-preferred-source-on-google\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nAdd us as a preferred source on Google\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-subscribe-to-our-newsletter\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nSubscribe to our newsletter\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-c4f987dc-8bfe-11f1-aa9e-69236dddf18b\">When setting up the list of favourites for a race like the Tour de France Femmes, generally one of the first things to do would be to go and take a look at recent race history to see how the form has been evolving for the season. It&#8217;s the riders that have done well at other Grand Tours, excelled in the mountains or delivered cracking individual time trial results that will give them an edge over other contenders that are likely to go to the top of the list.<\/p>\n<p>However, when it comes to Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot, that&#8217;s not how it works. The French Visma-Lease a Bike rider is cut from a different cloth.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-c4f987dc-8bfe-11f1-aa9e-69236dddf18b-2\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Key rivals like Demi Vollering and Marlen Reusser may have been racking up the race days and victories in recent months, with the Giro d&#8217;Italia win for the Dutch rider and home race victory at the Tour de Suisse for Reusser. On the other hand, the race and results calendar has been unapologetically quiet for the 2025 Tour de France winner and Paris Olympics mountain bike gold medallist, with just 12 race days so far this season and the last of these was in May.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-6 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-[10px] lg:my-8\" data-component-name=\"JwPlayer:Carousel\" data-jwp-carousel data-jwp-carousel-payload=\"{&quot;ids&quot;:{&quot;playerID&quot;:&quot;jYDCcabO&quot;,&quot;searchPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;gwjdoYHD&quot;,&quot;divID&quot;:&quot;botr_gwjdoYHD_jYDCcabO_div&quot;,&quot;fallbackPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;gwjdoYHD&quot;,&quot;fallbackDivID&quot;:&quot;botr_gwjdoYHD_jYDCcabO_div&quot;,&quot;key&quot;:&quot;X9\/mXVGac0NphghLH9hZaqWA5d3dhAM\/Ih07grnEyMLjuO2E&quot;,&quot;tintLogo&quot;:true,&quot;useSearchPlaylist&quot;:false,&quot;enabled&quot;:true},&quot;signPostingEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;signPostingLinkEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;waitForAdLoad&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnDesktop&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnMobile&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnTablet&quot;:false}\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-nowrap items-center justify-between gap-3 bg-zinc-900 px-[14px] py-3\" data-jwp-carousel-header>\n<div class=\"flex min-w-0 shrink items-center\"><span class=\"inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 text-sm font-article-heading capitalize leading-5 text-white whitespace-nowrap\"><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-desktop\">Latest Videos From<\/span><span class=\"jwp-carousel-brand\">Cyclingnews<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"min-h-[44px] bg-zinc-900 px-[14px] py-3\" data-jwp-carousel-signposting><a class=\"invisible block truncate text-sm font-bold leading-5 text-white underline decoration-solid underline-offset-2\" data-jwp-carousel-signposting-link href target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-jwp-carousel-signposting-title>Watch full video here: <\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">On top of that, there isn&#8217;t a victory among those 12 days, and the results from her only stage race at the Vuelta Femenina were less than spectacular, finishing 35th overall. Though that&#8217;s nothing to be concerned about or knock her down the favourites list, she did, after all, claim victory in France in 2025 on the back of a DNS in her previous hit-out in Spain.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">It&#8217;s simply that a packed calendar packed with multiple goals just isn&#8217;t Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot&#8217;s style.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[&apos;&apos;] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[&apos;&apos;] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0 max-w-full\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/x2erRPrkRHSd8wS8rNtXkN-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/x2erRPrkRHSd8wS8rNtXkN-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">Tour de France Femmes contenders \u2013 Demi Vollering and Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot poised for fantastic duel with Ventoux finale<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rh92PYzpUFcZqJj6HdxmCc-250-80.png.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rh92PYzpUFcZqJj6HdxmCc-150-80.png.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">Why a resurgent Marlen Reusser should be a real worry for Demi Vollering and Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot at the Tour de France Femmes \u2013 Analysis<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MaYN5X83X7zFgoHKdrr7da-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MaYN5X83X7zFgoHKdrr7da-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">&#8216;Last year&#8217;s victory doesn&#8217;t guarantee anything&#8217; \u2013 Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot set to defend Tour de France Femmes title with balanced Visma support squad<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;My goal, since the beginning, is to be able to be 100% for the Tour de France, so I never really had in mind to win other races. I know that I need a specific preparation to be able to win races, so I just pick my battle, and I choose the Tour de France as the battle,&#8221; Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot told reporters in an online media conference three days before the race.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;I&#8217;m not the kind of rider who can and who wants to perform all season long; I just want to have a big goal in the season and to commit to it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-vnmX74Ca6KxcxX9zXKyi4d\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-vnmX74Ca6KxcxX9zXKyi4d slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__header\">Get The Leadout Newsletter<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<footer class=\"newsletter-form__footer \">By submitting your information you agree to the Terms &amp; Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.<\/footer>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The Tour de France was always the race that was the raison d&#8217;\u00eatre behind her return to the road after years of focusing on the mountain bike, which culminated with gold at her home Olympics in 2024. That drive hasn&#8217;t changed as a result of delivering a winning blow in the very first season of her multi-year plan to capture victory at the race, which women&#8217;s team manager Rutger Tijssen joked was almost unfortunate because &#8220;my three-year plan was in the trash bin&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">But, all jokes aside, while that may have taken the pressure off, it hasn&#8217;t done anything to reduce its lustre as a goal, with the French rider making clear that the French Grand Tour was an event and experience that held a special place in her heart.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;It&#8217;s not just about winning, you know, also especially because I won last year, so this year I also want to enjoy,&#8221; said Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[&apos;&apos;] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[&apos;&apos;] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0 max-w-full\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" id=\"recirculation-inline-2-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLhTWBqryzGHCk2dKSRmye-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLhTWBqryzGHCk2dKSRmye-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">&#8216;Pauline will be on the same level or better; we are only focused on ourselves&#8217; \u2013 Inside FDJ United-Suez and Demi Vollering&#8217;s preparation, mindset and ambitions for the Tour de France Femmes<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" id=\"recirculation-inline-2-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8p6Mc4zX9wMKoj4au5g4qe-250-80.png.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8p6Mc4zX9wMKoj4au5g4qe-150-80.png.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">Cooke&#8217;s Mont Ventoux masterclass and a C\u00f4te d&#8217;Azur classic \u2013 A history of the Tour de France Femmes&#8217; key climbs<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" id=\"recirculation-inline-2-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6Qwro5SviMvjEWT5r6dTD4-250-80.png.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6Qwro5SviMvjEWT5r6dTD4-150-80.png.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">Can FDJ United-SUEZ defend their title without Demi Vollering? \u2013 Analysing the contenders for La Vuelta Femenina 2026<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<h2 id=\"some-things-change-others-stay-the-same-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Some things change, others stay the same<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout kiosq-b\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-e0491e8c-8c06-11f1-9954-138a20a8d03a\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9dxqH5KU74TVxJTzzqyYV7-1200-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9dxqH5KU74TVxJTzzqyYV7-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9dxqH5KU74TVxJTzzqyYV7-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9dxqH5KU74TVxJTzzqyYV7-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9dxqH5KU74TVxJTzzqyYV7-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9dxqH5KU74TVxJTzzqyYV7-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-c4f9896c-8bfe-11f1-88f2-f9671939535f\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">This hyper-focussed approach hasn&#8217;t always been the way Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot operated. There was a time in her career when she did it all, switching across disciplines and sweeping through to take a swathe of results that at one point saw her hold the road, cyclo-cross and cross-country mountain bike world titles all at once, but as the years rolled on she became more focused.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">That was first in terms of discipline, as Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot honed in on mountain biking before returning to the road, and then she continued also to refine her training to pinpoint key events,<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The sparse calendar, she said, is a good way to keep the motivation fresh, which may not be the case if she had to race weekend after weekend.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;It was good when I was younger. I had the hunger to race a lot, but now I just prefer to train to build for an event and to go in altitude in training camp rather than racing more,&#8221; said Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;I think it&#8217;s because of age; I&#8217;m now 34, and I don&#8217;t have like the same motivation, I would say, to race every weekend. I think it&#8217;s also why I have fun. It&#8217;s because I know that it&#8217;s not every weekend, and when I come to the race, I know that I&#8217;m ready.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">While the racing schedule may look significantly different to the early years of a career that has now spanned through a decade-and-a-half of successes, disappointments and also obstacles \u2013 including multiple surgeries for iliac artery endofibrosis \u2013 there are some things that remain the same.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Right from the time when Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot was in her early 20s and lining up alongside Marianne Vos for the Rabobank-Liv squad \u2013 and also standing on the overall podium of the Giro d&#8217;Italia GC podium one step below her race-winning teammate \u2013 there is a characteristic that has continually helped drive her toward success.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;She&#8217;s still the same Pauline, but what I learned already from her at a young age, until now, she&#8217;s very determined,&#8221; Vos, who now races with Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot at Visma-Lease a Bike, said in a pre-Tour de France Femmes media conference.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;When she has her mind on something, she will make it work, and we&#8217;ve seen that, of course, in different disciplines and different goals that she set, and eventually she got to the goal and made it happen.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;Next to that, she&#8217;s just very good to have in the team. Loyal, nice, and, as I said, also very determined. She knows what she wants, and she knows what she needs, and that&#8217;s actually really nice to have in the team because you really work together for the same goal. When there&#8217;s such a leader in the team, you know what you go for.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout kiosq-b\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-e0491f4a-8c06-11f1-b600-e7e1ae20c7de\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4nwyoyoBzZvZskn8vWY5xT-1200-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4nwyoyoBzZvZskn8vWY5xT-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4nwyoyoBzZvZskn8vWY5xT-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4nwyoyoBzZvZskn8vWY5xT-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4nwyoyoBzZvZskn8vWY5xT-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4nwyoyoBzZvZskn8vWY5xT-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"the-ticking-clock-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The ticking clock<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-c4f98a34-8bfe-11f1-93d7-55973d274b13\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The Visma-Lease a Bike team has clear goals, and while stage wins and an early yellow jersey would be nice, capturing it on the final day is the overriding target.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Still, winning one year is far from a guarantee of being able to win another, as it&#8217;s not just the competitors and form that vary, but also the parcours.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;Every year is going to be different, so you need to adapt,&#8221; said Tijssen, referring to a skill Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot is clearly adept at considering her varied successes.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The standout change this year, when the course was announced in October, was a time trial over 21km on stage 4, which, in theory at least, was an advantage to riders like Reusser, Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx) and Vollering who populated the steps of the time trial podium at the World Championships in 2025. The defending champion, on the other hand, hasn&#8217;t raced a single UCI individual time trial since her road return.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">When asked if, given her inexperience in the area, it was like starting from zero when she started working on the time trial preparation, Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot quipped that actually, &#8220;I had to start from minus ten.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Still, with her proven ability to deliver, even without a track record in the discipline, it&#8217;s hard to imagine she&#8217;ll end up on the start line anything but prepared.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;I really like this kind of challenge, so I took it very seriously, and I think I did my homework quite well,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The work on positioning, aerodynamic testing and simulations got underway soon after the route was announced and from November the efforts on the time trial bike were a regular part of the routine.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;Indeed, we spent quite some time on the time trial bike, really two, three times a week at least,&#8221; said Tijssen of the focus on this area. &#8220;And not just doing easy spins, but also really training on it without losing the focus on what she&#8217;s good at. Because in the end, you should always try to make the athlete better in what she&#8217;s already really good at, instead of putting too much emphasis on the challenges and the things that she&#8217;s not that good at.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;So we maintain focus on what she was really good at, which is long climbing, being race ready for Saturday, and that, for her, means being really ready in every aspect of the race. And we never lose sight of the explosive part of women&#8217;s cycling, because the races are being decided on the two in a three minutes effort, so we took them into consideration as well.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout kiosq-b\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-e0492008-8c06-11f1-a13c-058ac625d777\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWXVEPVQuUuBPhs82i9VpP-1200-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWXVEPVQuUuBPhs82i9VpP-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWXVEPVQuUuBPhs82i9VpP-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWXVEPVQuUuBPhs82i9VpP-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWXVEPVQuUuBPhs82i9VpP-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWXVEPVQuUuBPhs82i9VpP-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-c4f98a98-8bfe-11f1-926f-17acc646f509\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Last year it was a winning effort on the Col de la Madeleine which put Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot in the overall lead and whipped French fans into a frenzy, the roadsides packed with cheering and sign-waving fans even hours ahead of when the home-nation hero would pass through in yellow.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The queen stage this year ends on Mont Ventoux, a 15.7km climb averaging 8.8% that Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot has tackled repeatedly in her preparation because &#8220;I really like to know where I put my wheels&#8221;. On first glance its not that dissimilar from the Col de Madeleine at 8.8% at 18.6km but when it comes down to the detail there are significant differences.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;It&#8217;s a hard climb. It&#8217;s different than Madeleine because I think the wind also will have more of an impact. It&#8217;s a climb, also, where after Chalet Reynard you need also quite some power because it&#8217;s a more flattish part,&#8221; said Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot, pointing out that on the other hand there had been no time for recovery on Madeleine.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;I think maybe we will have more like team tactics for Ventoux than we could see last year for Madeleine.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Whatever happens, it&#8217;s clear that Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot and the team have put in the work to try and, as Tijssen put it, &#8220;make the uncomfortable comfortable, and make the uncontrollable controllable&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">In the days ahead of the Tour de France Femmes start in Lausanne Switzerland, that has left Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot confident in her preparation and smiling her way through media conferences, but also well aware of the potential challenges ahead.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;I feel happy and at the moment relaxed, so let&#8217;s see,&#8221; said Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot. &#8220;In a few days, maybe I will be crying and unhappy. But at the moment, I&#8217;m in a good way.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">There may not be any predicting exactly what may unfold once the racing starts on Saturday, but there is an attitude that Tijssen believes will stand her in good stead, and that is that &#8220;there is just one way, and that&#8217;s moving forward&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;There is nothing that&#8217;s going to hold her back from being as good as she can be when she has her peak moment.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-c4f98af2-8bfe-11f1-9af9-51a904c14c36\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"><strong>Support our unrivalled coverage of the Tour de France Femmes and women&#8217;s cycling by subscribing to Cyclingnews. In return, you get unlimited access to high-quality journalism, with breaking news, race analysis, and expert insight from inside the women&#8217;s peloton. Plus, the Cyclingnews app lets you follow the action wherever you go! <\/strong><u><strong>Join today.<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"slice-container-authorBio-vnmX74Ca6KxcxX9zXKyi4d\" class=\"slice-container slice-author-bio authorBio-vnmX74Ca6KxcxX9zXKyi4d slice-container-authorBio\">\n<div class=\"author author__default-layout author--separator author--collapsible\" data-hydrate=\"true\">\n<div class=\"author__header\">\n<div class=\"author__avatar-block\">\n<figure class=\"image-wrapped__wrapper\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"false\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapped__widthsetter\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapped__aspect-padding\">\n<div><source class=\"author__avatar image-wrapped__image image__image\" type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RUKCQmBBgAFRGkijgpLyah-140-80.jpg.webp 140w\" sizes=\"99vw\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RUKCQmBBgAFRGkijgpLyah.jpg\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RUKCQmBBgAFRGkijgpLyah.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RUKCQmBBgAFRGkijgpLyah.jpg\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__heading\">\n<div class=\"author__name\">Simone Giuliani<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__social\">\n<nav class=\"button-social-group author__social-buttons\" aria-labelledby=\"button-social-group- author__social-buttons\">\n<div id=\"button-social-group- author__social-buttons\">Social Links Navigation<\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__role\">Australia Editor<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__bio-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"author__biography\">\n<p>Simone is a degree-qualified journalist that has accumulated decades of wide-ranging experience while working across a variety of leading media organisations. She joined <em>Cyclingnews<\/em> as a Production Editor at the start of the 2021 season and has now moved into the role of Australia Editor. Previously she worked as a freelance writer, Australian Editor at <em>Ella CyclingTips<\/em> and as a correspondent for <em>Reuters<\/em> and <em>Bloomberg<\/em>. Cycling was initially purely a leisure pursuit for Simone, who started out as a business journalist, but in 2015 her career focus also shifted to the sport.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"relative max-w-[1070px] viafoura-twig-component mt-6 mx-4 lg:mx-0\" data-component-name=\"Viafoura:Comments\" data-nosnippet data-community-guidelines-text=\"&lt;p class=&apos;vfcustom-community-guidelines&apos;&gt;Please follow our &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/about\/#section-community-guidelines&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;community guidelines&lt;\/a&gt;.&lt;\/p&gt;\" data-join-the-conversation-text=\"Join the Conversation\">\n<div class=\"absolute top-0 left-0 w-full h-full flex items-center justify-center z-50 bg-white\/90 border-1 rounded-b-[var(--comment-widget-border-radius,0)]\">\n<div class=\"p-2 text-center\">\n<p class=\"mb-3 text-lg!\">You must confirm your public display name before commenting<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-3 text-sm!\">Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"mx-2 my-5 sm:mx-0\">\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-adviser:hybrid\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Read more<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/x2erRPrkRHSd8wS8rNtXkN-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/x2erRPrkRHSd8wS8rNtXkN-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/x2erRPrkRHSd8wS8rNtXkN-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/x2erRPrkRHSd8wS8rNtXkN-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/x2erRPrkRHSd8wS8rNtXkN-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Tour de France Femmes contenders \u2013 Demi Vollering and Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot poised for fantastic duel with Ventoux finale<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rh92PYzpUFcZqJj6HdxmCc-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rh92PYzpUFcZqJj6HdxmCc-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rh92PYzpUFcZqJj6HdxmCc-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rh92PYzpUFcZqJj6HdxmCc-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rh92PYzpUFcZqJj6HdxmCc-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Why a resurgent Marlen Reusser should be a real worry for Demi Vollering and Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot at the Tour de France Femmes \u2013 Analysis<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MaYN5X83X7zFgoHKdrr7da-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MaYN5X83X7zFgoHKdrr7da-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MaYN5X83X7zFgoHKdrr7da-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MaYN5X83X7zFgoHKdrr7da-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MaYN5X83X7zFgoHKdrr7da-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Last year&#8217;s victory doesn&#8217;t guarantee anything&#8217; \u2013 Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot set to defend Tour de France Femmes title with balanced Visma support squad<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLhTWBqryzGHCk2dKSRmye-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLhTWBqryzGHCk2dKSRmye-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLhTWBqryzGHCk2dKSRmye-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLhTWBqryzGHCk2dKSRmye-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLhTWBqryzGHCk2dKSRmye-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Pauline will be on the same level or better; we are only focused on ourselves&#8217; \u2013 Inside FDJ United-Suez and Demi Vollering&#8217;s preparation, mindset and ambitions for the Tour de France Femmes<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8p6Mc4zX9wMKoj4au5g4qe-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8p6Mc4zX9wMKoj4au5g4qe-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8p6Mc4zX9wMKoj4au5g4qe-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8p6Mc4zX9wMKoj4au5g4qe-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8p6Mc4zX9wMKoj4au5g4qe-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Cooke&#8217;s Mont Ventoux masterclass and a C\u00f4te d&#8217;Azur classic \u2013 A history of the Tour de France Femmes&#8217; key climbs<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6Qwro5SviMvjEWT5r6dTD4-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6Qwro5SviMvjEWT5r6dTD4-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6Qwro5SviMvjEWT5r6dTD4-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6Qwro5SviMvjEWT5r6dTD4-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6Qwro5SviMvjEWT5r6dTD4-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Can FDJ United-SUEZ defend their title without Demi Vollering? \u2013 Analysing the contenders for La Vuelta Femenina 2026<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-category\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kiw4M2NRFdqtTPazzFAbQ7-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kiw4M2NRFdqtTPazzFAbQ7-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kiw4M2NRFdqtTPazzFAbQ7-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kiw4M2NRFdqtTPazzFAbQ7-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kiw4M2NRFdqtTPazzFAbQ7-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I don&#8217;t think other teams know our strategy&#8217; \u2013 UAE Team L&#8217;IMAD start Tour de France Femmes with strength in depth and Longo Borghini and Blasi at the helm<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/T8r6nc4LCSG6ojytsGfLBD-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/T8r6nc4LCSG6ojytsGfLBD-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/T8r6nc4LCSG6ojytsGfLBD-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/T8r6nc4LCSG6ojytsGfLBD-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/T8r6nc4LCSG6ojytsGfLBD-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">SD Worx-Protime led by Lotte Kopecky, Lorena Wiebes and Anna van der Breggen at uncontrollable Tour de France Femmes with mixed ambitions<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dS8bsRq2ekBAtzZtBGdBWb-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dS8bsRq2ekBAtzZtBGdBWb-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dS8bsRq2ekBAtzZtBGdBWb-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dS8bsRq2ekBAtzZtBGdBWb-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dS8bsRq2ekBAtzZtBGdBWb-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">No riders revealed but Decathlon CMA CGM confirm creation of women&#8217;s team for 2027<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EuykcKHCRukC6UPNZT9aV-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EuykcKHCRukC6UPNZT9aV-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EuykcKHCRukC6UPNZT9aV-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EuykcKHCRukC6UPNZT9aV-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EuykcKHCRukC6UPNZT9aV-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Kristen Faulkner, Noemi R\u00fcegg join world champion on EF Education-Oatly&#8217;s Tour de France Femmes roster<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MaYN5X83X7zFgoHKdrr7da-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MaYN5X83X7zFgoHKdrr7da-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MaYN5X83X7zFgoHKdrr7da-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MaYN5X83X7zFgoHKdrr7da-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MaYN5X83X7zFgoHKdrr7da-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Last year&#8217;s victory doesn&#8217;t guarantee anything&#8217; \u2013 Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot set to defend Tour de France Femmes title with balanced Visma support squad<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dYSKXQQbM5pGANTZd79R9F-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dYSKXQQbM5pGANTZd79R9F-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dYSKXQQbM5pGANTZd79R9F-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dYSKXQQbM5pGANTZd79R9F-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dYSKXQQbM5pGANTZd79R9F-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I never wanted to walk away hating it&#8217; \u2013 Former New Zealand champion Kim Cadzow ends cycling career at 24<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-articletype\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in Features<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8p6Mc4zX9wMKoj4au5g4qe-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8p6Mc4zX9wMKoj4au5g4qe-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8p6Mc4zX9wMKoj4au5g4qe-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8p6Mc4zX9wMKoj4au5g4qe-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8p6Mc4zX9wMKoj4au5g4qe-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Cooke&#8217;s Mont Ventoux masterclass and a C\u00f4te d&#8217;Azur classic \u2013 A history of the Tour de France Femmes&#8217; key climbs<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jYQwNfFJ6KcW6PUrza45Ck-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jYQwNfFJ6KcW6PUrza45Ck-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jYQwNfFJ6KcW6PUrza45Ck-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jYQwNfFJ6KcW6PUrza45Ck-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jYQwNfFJ6KcW6PUrza45Ck-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Will Tadej Poga\u010dar win a sixth Tour de France? &#8211; What can we expect from the 2027 Grand Boucle<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sKWF6VNwL8aBFdUFVhiyPR-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sKWF6VNwL8aBFdUFVhiyPR-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sKWF6VNwL8aBFdUFVhiyPR-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sKWF6VNwL8aBFdUFVhiyPR-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sKWF6VNwL8aBFdUFVhiyPR-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Wheels &amp; Tyres<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">What are the fastest UCI-legal road wheels? Wind tunnel testing the big-name brands and Chinese contenders<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dbzz8VNsXoCE8rLCWo5WfM-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dbzz8VNsXoCE8rLCWo5WfM-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dbzz8VNsXoCE8rLCWo5WfM-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dbzz8VNsXoCE8rLCWo5WfM-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dbzz8VNsXoCE8rLCWo5WfM-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Delving beyond the Mont Ventoux showstopper: Analysing the key stages of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLhTWBqryzGHCk2dKSRmye-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLhTWBqryzGHCk2dKSRmye-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLhTWBqryzGHCk2dKSRmye-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLhTWBqryzGHCk2dKSRmye-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLhTWBqryzGHCk2dKSRmye-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Pauline will be on the same level or better; we are only focused on ourselves&#8217; \u2013 Inside FDJ United-Suez and Demi Vollering&#8217;s preparation, mindset and ambitions for the Tour de France Femmes<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/S6SdoqqxqDuqxzeaiQu2d7-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/S6SdoqqxqDuqxzeaiQu2d7-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/S6SdoqqxqDuqxzeaiQu2d7-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/S6SdoqqxqDuqxzeaiQu2d7-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/S6SdoqqxqDuqxzeaiQu2d7-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Lying contorted, bleeding, shivering on a Flemish footpath, I was already thinking about that next big race &#8211; Brodie Chapman&#8217;s Tour de France Femmes column<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"widgetArea17\" class=\"widget-area md:basis-1\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-1-3 page-widget-area-17\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"dynamic\" id=\"popular-data\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-dynamic widget-popular-data widget-dynamic-popular-data widget-dynamic-fter-popular-box\">\n<div class=\"wdn-fte-pb pos-relative space-t20\n\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"slice-container popular-box-slice\">\n<section class=\"popular-box\" data-component-name=\"Slice:PopularBox\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label__tab popular-box__label__tab--active\" role=\"heading\">\nLATEST ARTICLES\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ol class=\"popular-box__articles-list popular-box__articles-list--active\">\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__image-wrapper\">\n<div>\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jYQwNfFJ6KcW6PUrza45Ck-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jYQwNfFJ6KcW6PUrza45Ck-720-80.jpg.webp 720w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jYQwNfFJ6KcW6PUrza45Ck-640-80.jpg.webp 640w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jYQwNfFJ6KcW6PUrza45Ck-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"99vw\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">1<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">\n<p>Will Tadej Poga\u010dar win a sixth Tour de France? &#8211; What can we expect from the 2027 Grand Boucle<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">2<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">\n<p>&#8216;I don&#8217;t think other teams know our strategy&#8217; \u2013 UAE Team L&#8217;IMAD start Tour de France Femmes with strength in depth and Longo Borghini and Blasi at the helm<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">3<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">\n<p>Jonas Vingegaard reveals Tadej Poga\u010dar messaged him after Tour de France crash, says rivalry has &#8216;become a lot friendlier there in the last couple of years&#8217;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">4<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">\n<p>&#8216;This is the best year for Tadej Poga\u010dar to come&#8217;\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a director confident in Tour de France champion&#8217;s participation, with little concern over likely dominance<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">5<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">\n<p>SD Worx-Protime led by Lotte Kopecky, Lorena Wiebes and Anna van der Breggen at uncontrollable Tour de France Femmes with mixed ambitions<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"page-content-onecol flex-1\nnews-article article\n\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"widget-area-group widget-area-group-2col flex flex-wrap box-border\">\n<div id=\"widgetArea16\" class=\"widget-area basis-full md:basis-2\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-2-3 page-widget-area-16\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"hero\" id=\"hero\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-hero widget-hero widget-hero-hero widget-hero widget-hero-fter-news\">\n<div class=\"news-article\">\n<header data-component-name=\"Article:Hero\">\n<nav class=\"breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol>\n<li>\nPro Cycling\n<\/li>\n<li>\nRacing\n<\/li>\n<li>\nWomen&#8217;s Cycling\n<\/li>\n<li>\nRoad\n<\/li>\n<li>\nTour de France Femmes\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h1>&#8216;I pick my battle, and I choose the Tour de France&#8217; \u2013 Forget year-long dominance, Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot is all about delivering when it counts most<\/h1>\n<div class=\"byline-social\">\n<div class=\"vds-byline-block flex flex-row flex-nowrap my-1.5 gap-2 text-left items-start justify-start\" data-component-name=\"Article:BylineBlock\">\n<p>Features<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-auto vds-simple-byline\"><span class=\"inline-block vds-author\"><br \/>\nBy<br \/>\nSimone Giuliani <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex gap-1 vds-byline-with-avatar__meta\"><span class=\"vds-date block font-normal tracking-normal normal-case text-xs\"><br \/>\nPublished<br \/>\n<time data-component-name=\"UI:DateTime\" datetime=\"2026-07-30T11:10:45Z\" class=\"relative-date\"><br \/>\n30 July 2026<br \/>\n<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"strapline\">The French racer&#8217;s unconventional path toward an attempted title defence on a course with the unfamiliar discipline of time trialling thrown in<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"text-gray-700 flex items-center mx-0 my-5 p-0 justify-start text-left\" id=\"affiliate-disclaimer\" data-component-name=\"AffiliateDisclaimer\" data-hawk-message=\"Affiliate disclaimer removed because hawk deemed there are no affiliate links on this page\">\n<p class=\"text-[color:var(--affiliate-disclaimer--text-color,inherit)] mb-2 text-[length:var(--affiliate-disclaimer--font-size,0.75rem)] leading-[18px] md:text-[13px] [&amp;&gt;a]:text-inherit [&amp;&gt;a]:underline\">\nWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. 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It&#8217;s the riders that have done well at other Grand Tours, excelled in the mountains or delivered cracking individual time trial results that will give them an edge over other contenders that are likely to go to the top of the list.<\/p>\n<p>However, when it comes to Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot, that&#8217;s not how it works. The French Visma-Lease a Bike rider is cut from a different cloth.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-c4f987dc-8bfe-11f1-aa9e-69236dddf18b-2\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Key rivals like Demi Vollering and Marlen Reusser may have been racking up the race days and victories in recent months, with the Giro d&#8217;Italia win for the Dutch rider and home race victory at the Tour de Suisse for Reusser. On the other hand, the race and results calendar has been unapologetically quiet for the 2025 Tour de France winner and Paris Olympics mountain bike gold medallist, with just 12 race days so far this season and the last of these was in May.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-6 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-[10px] lg:my-8\" data-component-name=\"JwPlayer:Carousel\" data-jwp-carousel data-jwp-carousel-payload=\"{&quot;ids&quot;:{&quot;playerID&quot;:&quot;jYDCcabO&quot;,&quot;searchPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;gwjdoYHD&quot;,&quot;divID&quot;:&quot;botr_gwjdoYHD_jYDCcabO_div&quot;,&quot;fallbackPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;gwjdoYHD&quot;,&quot;fallbackDivID&quot;:&quot;botr_gwjdoYHD_jYDCcabO_div&quot;,&quot;key&quot;:&quot;X9\/mXVGac0NphghLH9hZaqWA5d3dhAM\/Ih07grnEyMLjuO2E&quot;,&quot;tintLogo&quot;:true,&quot;useSearchPlaylist&quot;:false,&quot;enabled&quot;:true},&quot;signPostingEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;signPostingLinkEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;waitForAdLoad&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnDesktop&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnMobile&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnTablet&quot;:false}\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-nowrap items-center justify-between gap-3 bg-zinc-900 px-[14px] py-3\" data-jwp-carousel-header>\n<div class=\"flex min-w-0 shrink items-center\"><span class=\"inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 text-sm font-article-heading capitalize leading-5 text-white whitespace-nowrap\"><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-desktop\">Latest Videos From<\/span><span class=\"jwp-carousel-brand\">Cyclingnews<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"min-h-[44px] bg-zinc-900 px-[14px] py-3\" data-jwp-carousel-signposting><a class=\"invisible block truncate text-sm font-bold leading-5 text-white underline decoration-solid underline-offset-2\" data-jwp-carousel-signposting-link href target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-jwp-carousel-signposting-title>Watch full video here: <\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">On top of that, there isn&#8217;t a victory among those 12 days, and the results from her only stage race at the Vuelta Femenina were less than spectacular, finishing 35th overall. Though that&#8217;s nothing to be concerned about or knock her down the favourites list, she did, after all, claim victory in France in 2025 on the back of a DNS in her previous hit-out in Spain.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">It&#8217;s simply that a packed calendar packed with multiple goals just isn&#8217;t Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot&#8217;s style.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[&apos;&apos;] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[&apos;&apos;] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0 max-w-full\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/x2erRPrkRHSd8wS8rNtXkN-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/x2erRPrkRHSd8wS8rNtXkN-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">Tour de France Femmes contenders \u2013 Demi Vollering and Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot poised for fantastic duel with Ventoux finale<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rh92PYzpUFcZqJj6HdxmCc-250-80.png.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rh92PYzpUFcZqJj6HdxmCc-150-80.png.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">Why a resurgent Marlen Reusser should be a real worry for Demi Vollering and Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot at the Tour de France Femmes \u2013 Analysis<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MaYN5X83X7zFgoHKdrr7da-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MaYN5X83X7zFgoHKdrr7da-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">&#8216;Last year&#8217;s victory doesn&#8217;t guarantee anything&#8217; \u2013 Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot set to defend Tour de France Femmes title with balanced Visma support squad<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;My goal, since the beginning, is to be able to be 100% for the Tour de France, so I never really had in mind to win other races. I know that I need a specific preparation to be able to win races, so I just pick my battle, and I choose the Tour de France as the battle,&#8221; Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot told reporters in an online media conference three days before the race.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;I&#8217;m not the kind of rider who can and who wants to perform all season long; I just want to have a big goal in the season and to commit to it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-vnmX74Ca6KxcxX9zXKyi4d\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-vnmX74Ca6KxcxX9zXKyi4d slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__header\">Get The Leadout Newsletter<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<footer class=\"newsletter-form__footer \">By submitting your information you agree to the Terms &amp; Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.<\/footer>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The Tour de France was always the race that was the raison d&#8217;\u00eatre behind her return to the road after years of focusing on the mountain bike, which culminated with gold at her home Olympics in 2024. That drive hasn&#8217;t changed as a result of delivering a winning blow in the very first season of her multi-year plan to capture victory at the race, which women&#8217;s team manager Rutger Tijssen joked was almost unfortunate because &#8220;my three-year plan was in the trash bin&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">But, all jokes aside, while that may have taken the pressure off, it hasn&#8217;t done anything to reduce its lustre as a goal, with the French rider making clear that the French Grand Tour was an event and experience that held a special place in her heart.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;It&#8217;s not just about winning, you know, also especially because I won last year, so this year I also want to enjoy,&#8221; said Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[&apos;&apos;] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[&apos;&apos;] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0 max-w-full\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" id=\"recirculation-inline-2-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLhTWBqryzGHCk2dKSRmye-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLhTWBqryzGHCk2dKSRmye-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">&#8216;Pauline will be on the same level or better; we are only focused on ourselves&#8217; \u2013 Inside FDJ United-Suez and Demi Vollering&#8217;s preparation, mindset and ambitions for the Tour de France Femmes<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" id=\"recirculation-inline-2-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8p6Mc4zX9wMKoj4au5g4qe-250-80.png.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8p6Mc4zX9wMKoj4au5g4qe-150-80.png.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">Cooke&#8217;s Mont Ventoux masterclass and a C\u00f4te d&#8217;Azur classic \u2013 A history of the Tour de France Femmes&#8217; key climbs<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" id=\"recirculation-inline-2-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6Qwro5SviMvjEWT5r6dTD4-250-80.png.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6Qwro5SviMvjEWT5r6dTD4-150-80.png.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">Can FDJ United-SUEZ defend their title without Demi Vollering? \u2013 Analysing the contenders for La Vuelta Femenina 2026<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<h2 id=\"some-things-change-others-stay-the-same-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Some things change, others stay the same<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout kiosq-b\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-e0491e8c-8c06-11f1-9954-138a20a8d03a\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9dxqH5KU74TVxJTzzqyYV7-1200-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9dxqH5KU74TVxJTzzqyYV7-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9dxqH5KU74TVxJTzzqyYV7-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9dxqH5KU74TVxJTzzqyYV7-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9dxqH5KU74TVxJTzzqyYV7-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9dxqH5KU74TVxJTzzqyYV7-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-c4f9896c-8bfe-11f1-88f2-f9671939535f\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">This hyper-focussed approach hasn&#8217;t always been the way Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot operated. There was a time in her career when she did it all, switching across disciplines and sweeping through to take a swathe of results that at one point saw her hold the road, cyclo-cross and cross-country mountain bike world titles all at once, but as the years rolled on she became more focused.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">That was first in terms of discipline, as Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot honed in on mountain biking before returning to the road, and then she continued also to refine her training to pinpoint key events,<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The sparse calendar, she said, is a good way to keep the motivation fresh, which may not be the case if she had to race weekend after weekend.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;It was good when I was younger. I had the hunger to race a lot, but now I just prefer to train to build for an event and to go in altitude in training camp rather than racing more,&#8221; said Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;I think it&#8217;s because of age; I&#8217;m now 34, and I don&#8217;t have like the same motivation, I would say, to race every weekend. I think it&#8217;s also why I have fun. It&#8217;s because I know that it&#8217;s not every weekend, and when I come to the race, I know that I&#8217;m ready.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">While the racing schedule may look significantly different to the early years of a career that has now spanned through a decade-and-a-half of successes, disappointments and also obstacles \u2013 including multiple surgeries for iliac artery endofibrosis \u2013 there are some things that remain the same.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Right from the time when Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot was in her early 20s and lining up alongside Marianne Vos for the Rabobank-Liv squad \u2013 and also standing on the overall podium of the Giro d&#8217;Italia GC podium one step below her race-winning teammate \u2013 there is a characteristic that has continually helped drive her toward success.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;She&#8217;s still the same Pauline, but what I learned already from her at a young age, until now, she&#8217;s very determined,&#8221; Vos, who now races with Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot at Visma-Lease a Bike, said in a pre-Tour de France Femmes media conference.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;When she has her mind on something, she will make it work, and we&#8217;ve seen that, of course, in different disciplines and different goals that she set, and eventually she got to the goal and made it happen.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;Next to that, she&#8217;s just very good to have in the team. Loyal, nice, and, as I said, also very determined. She knows what she wants, and she knows what she needs, and that&#8217;s actually really nice to have in the team because you really work together for the same goal. When there&#8217;s such a leader in the team, you know what you go for.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout kiosq-b\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-e0491f4a-8c06-11f1-b600-e7e1ae20c7de\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4nwyoyoBzZvZskn8vWY5xT-1200-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4nwyoyoBzZvZskn8vWY5xT-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4nwyoyoBzZvZskn8vWY5xT-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4nwyoyoBzZvZskn8vWY5xT-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4nwyoyoBzZvZskn8vWY5xT-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4nwyoyoBzZvZskn8vWY5xT-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"the-ticking-clock-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The ticking clock<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-c4f98a34-8bfe-11f1-93d7-55973d274b13\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The Visma-Lease a Bike team has clear goals, and while stage wins and an early yellow jersey would be nice, capturing it on the final day is the overriding target.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Still, winning one year is far from a guarantee of being able to win another, as it&#8217;s not just the competitors and form that vary, but also the parcours.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;Every year is going to be different, so you need to adapt,&#8221; said Tijssen, referring to a skill Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot is clearly adept at considering her varied successes.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The standout change this year, when the course was announced in October, was a time trial over 21km on stage 4, which, in theory at least, was an advantage to riders like Reusser, Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx) and Vollering who populated the steps of the time trial podium at the World Championships in 2025. The defending champion, on the other hand, hasn&#8217;t raced a single UCI individual time trial since her road return.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">When asked if, given her inexperience in the area, it was like starting from zero when she started working on the time trial preparation, Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot quipped that actually, &#8220;I had to start from minus ten.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Still, with her proven ability to deliver, even without a track record in the discipline, it&#8217;s hard to imagine she&#8217;ll end up on the start line anything but prepared.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;I really like this kind of challenge, so I took it very seriously, and I think I did my homework quite well,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The work on positioning, aerodynamic testing and simulations got underway soon after the route was announced and from November the efforts on the time trial bike were a regular part of the routine.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;Indeed, we spent quite some time on the time trial bike, really two, three times a week at least,&#8221; said Tijssen of the focus on this area. &#8220;And not just doing easy spins, but also really training on it without losing the focus on what she&#8217;s good at. Because in the end, you should always try to make the athlete better in what she&#8217;s already really good at, instead of putting too much emphasis on the challenges and the things that she&#8217;s not that good at.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;So we maintain focus on what she was really good at, which is long climbing, being race ready for Saturday, and that, for her, means being really ready in every aspect of the race. And we never lose sight of the explosive part of women&#8217;s cycling, because the races are being decided on the two in a three minutes effort, so we took them into consideration as well.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout kiosq-b\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-e0492008-8c06-11f1-a13c-058ac625d777\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWXVEPVQuUuBPhs82i9VpP-1200-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWXVEPVQuUuBPhs82i9VpP-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWXVEPVQuUuBPhs82i9VpP-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWXVEPVQuUuBPhs82i9VpP-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWXVEPVQuUuBPhs82i9VpP-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWXVEPVQuUuBPhs82i9VpP-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-c4f98a98-8bfe-11f1-926f-17acc646f509\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Last year it was a winning effort on the Col de la Madeleine which put Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot in the overall lead and whipped French fans into a frenzy, the roadsides packed with cheering and sign-waving fans even hours ahead of when the home-nation hero would pass through in yellow.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The queen stage this year ends on Mont Ventoux, a 15.7km climb averaging 8.8% that Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot has tackled repeatedly in her preparation because &#8220;I really like to know where I put my wheels&#8221;. On first glance its not that dissimilar from the Col de Madeleine at 8.8% at 18.6km but when it comes down to the detail there are significant differences.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;It&#8217;s a hard climb. It&#8217;s different than Madeleine because I think the wind also will have more of an impact. It&#8217;s a climb, also, where after Chalet Reynard you need also quite some power because it&#8217;s a more flattish part,&#8221; said Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot, pointing out that on the other hand there had been no time for recovery on Madeleine.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;I think maybe we will have more like team tactics for Ventoux than we could see last year for Madeleine.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Whatever happens, it&#8217;s clear that Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot and the team have put in the work to try and, as Tijssen put it, &#8220;make the uncomfortable comfortable, and make the uncontrollable controllable&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">In the days ahead of the Tour de France Femmes start in Lausanne Switzerland, that has left Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot confident in her preparation and smiling her way through media conferences, but also well aware of the potential challenges ahead.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;I feel happy and at the moment relaxed, so let&#8217;s see,&#8221; said Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot. &#8220;In a few days, maybe I will be crying and unhappy. But at the moment, I&#8217;m in a good way.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">There may not be any predicting exactly what may unfold once the racing starts on Saturday, but there is an attitude that Tijssen believes will stand her in good stead, and that is that &#8220;there is just one way, and that&#8217;s moving forward&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;There is nothing that&#8217;s going to hold her back from being as good as she can be when she has her peak moment.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-c4f98af2-8bfe-11f1-9af9-51a904c14c36\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"><strong>Support our unrivalled coverage of the Tour de France Femmes and women&#8217;s cycling by subscribing to Cyclingnews. In return, you get unlimited access to high-quality journalism, with breaking news, race analysis, and expert insight from inside the women&#8217;s peloton. Plus, the Cyclingnews app lets you follow the action wherever you go! <\/strong><u><strong>Join today.<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"slice-container-authorBio-vnmX74Ca6KxcxX9zXKyi4d\" class=\"slice-container slice-author-bio authorBio-vnmX74Ca6KxcxX9zXKyi4d slice-container-authorBio\">\n<div class=\"author author__default-layout author--separator author--collapsible\" data-hydrate=\"true\">\n<div class=\"author__header\">\n<div class=\"author__avatar-block\">\n<figure class=\"image-wrapped__wrapper\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"false\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapped__widthsetter\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapped__aspect-padding\">\n<div><source class=\"author__avatar image-wrapped__image image__image\" type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RUKCQmBBgAFRGkijgpLyah-140-80.jpg.webp 140w\" sizes=\"99vw\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RUKCQmBBgAFRGkijgpLyah.jpg\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RUKCQmBBgAFRGkijgpLyah.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RUKCQmBBgAFRGkijgpLyah.jpg\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__heading\">\n<div class=\"author__name\">Simone Giuliani<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__social\">\n<nav class=\"button-social-group author__social-buttons\" aria-labelledby=\"button-social-group- author__social-buttons\">\n<div id=\"button-social-group- author__social-buttons\">Social Links Navigation<\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__role\">Australia Editor<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__bio-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"author__biography\">\n<p>Simone is a degree-qualified journalist that has accumulated decades of wide-ranging experience while working across a variety of leading media organisations. She joined <em>Cyclingnews<\/em> as a Production Editor at the start of the 2021 season and has now moved into the role of Australia Editor. Previously she worked as a freelance writer, Australian Editor at <em>Ella CyclingTips<\/em> and as a correspondent for <em>Reuters<\/em> and <em>Bloomberg<\/em>. Cycling was initially purely a leisure pursuit for Simone, who started out as a business journalist, but in 2015 her career focus also shifted to the sport.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"relative max-w-[1070px] viafoura-twig-component mt-6 mx-4 lg:mx-0\" data-component-name=\"Viafoura:Comments\" data-nosnippet data-community-guidelines-text=\"&lt;p class=&apos;vfcustom-community-guidelines&apos;&gt;Please follow our &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/about\/#section-community-guidelines&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;community guidelines&lt;\/a&gt;.&lt;\/p&gt;\" data-join-the-conversation-text=\"Join the Conversation\">\n<div class=\"absolute top-0 left-0 w-full h-full flex items-center justify-center z-50 bg-white\/90 border-1 rounded-b-[var(--comment-widget-border-radius,0)]\">\n<div class=\"p-2 text-center\">\n<p class=\"mb-3 text-lg!\">You must confirm your public display name before commenting<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-3 text-sm!\">Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"mx-2 my-5 sm:mx-0\">\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-adviser:hybrid\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Read more<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/x2erRPrkRHSd8wS8rNtXkN-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/x2erRPrkRHSd8wS8rNtXkN-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/x2erRPrkRHSd8wS8rNtXkN-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/x2erRPrkRHSd8wS8rNtXkN-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/x2erRPrkRHSd8wS8rNtXkN-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Tour de France Femmes contenders \u2013 Demi Vollering and Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot poised for fantastic duel with Ventoux finale<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rh92PYzpUFcZqJj6HdxmCc-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rh92PYzpUFcZqJj6HdxmCc-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rh92PYzpUFcZqJj6HdxmCc-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rh92PYzpUFcZqJj6HdxmCc-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rh92PYzpUFcZqJj6HdxmCc-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Why a resurgent Marlen Reusser should be a real worry for Demi Vollering and Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot at the Tour de France Femmes \u2013 Analysis<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MaYN5X83X7zFgoHKdrr7da-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MaYN5X83X7zFgoHKdrr7da-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MaYN5X83X7zFgoHKdrr7da-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MaYN5X83X7zFgoHKdrr7da-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MaYN5X83X7zFgoHKdrr7da-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Last year&#8217;s victory doesn&#8217;t guarantee anything&#8217; \u2013 Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot set to defend Tour de France Femmes title with balanced Visma support squad<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLhTWBqryzGHCk2dKSRmye-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLhTWBqryzGHCk2dKSRmye-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLhTWBqryzGHCk2dKSRmye-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLhTWBqryzGHCk2dKSRmye-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLhTWBqryzGHCk2dKSRmye-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Pauline will be on the same level or better; we are only focused on ourselves&#8217; \u2013 Inside FDJ United-Suez and Demi Vollering&#8217;s preparation, mindset and ambitions for the Tour de France Femmes<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8p6Mc4zX9wMKoj4au5g4qe-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8p6Mc4zX9wMKoj4au5g4qe-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8p6Mc4zX9wMKoj4au5g4qe-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8p6Mc4zX9wMKoj4au5g4qe-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8p6Mc4zX9wMKoj4au5g4qe-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Cooke&#8217;s Mont Ventoux masterclass and a C\u00f4te d&#8217;Azur classic \u2013 A history of the Tour de France Femmes&#8217; key climbs<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6Qwro5SviMvjEWT5r6dTD4-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6Qwro5SviMvjEWT5r6dTD4-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6Qwro5SviMvjEWT5r6dTD4-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6Qwro5SviMvjEWT5r6dTD4-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6Qwro5SviMvjEWT5r6dTD4-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Can FDJ United-SUEZ defend their title without Demi Vollering? \u2013 Analysing the contenders for La Vuelta Femenina 2026<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-category\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kiw4M2NRFdqtTPazzFAbQ7-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kiw4M2NRFdqtTPazzFAbQ7-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kiw4M2NRFdqtTPazzFAbQ7-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kiw4M2NRFdqtTPazzFAbQ7-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/kiw4M2NRFdqtTPazzFAbQ7-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I don&#8217;t think other teams know our strategy&#8217; \u2013 UAE Team L&#8217;IMAD start Tour de France Femmes with strength in depth and Longo Borghini and Blasi at the helm<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/T8r6nc4LCSG6ojytsGfLBD-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/T8r6nc4LCSG6ojytsGfLBD-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/T8r6nc4LCSG6ojytsGfLBD-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/T8r6nc4LCSG6ojytsGfLBD-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/T8r6nc4LCSG6ojytsGfLBD-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">SD Worx-Protime led by Lotte Kopecky, Lorena Wiebes and Anna van der Breggen at uncontrollable Tour de France Femmes with mixed ambitions<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dS8bsRq2ekBAtzZtBGdBWb-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dS8bsRq2ekBAtzZtBGdBWb-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dS8bsRq2ekBAtzZtBGdBWb-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dS8bsRq2ekBAtzZtBGdBWb-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dS8bsRq2ekBAtzZtBGdBWb-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">No riders revealed but Decathlon CMA CGM confirm creation of women&#8217;s team for 2027<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EuykcKHCRukC6UPNZT9aV-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EuykcKHCRukC6UPNZT9aV-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EuykcKHCRukC6UPNZT9aV-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EuykcKHCRukC6UPNZT9aV-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EuykcKHCRukC6UPNZT9aV-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Kristen Faulkner, Noemi R\u00fcegg join world champion on EF Education-Oatly&#8217;s Tour de France Femmes roster<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MaYN5X83X7zFgoHKdrr7da-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MaYN5X83X7zFgoHKdrr7da-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MaYN5X83X7zFgoHKdrr7da-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MaYN5X83X7zFgoHKdrr7da-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MaYN5X83X7zFgoHKdrr7da-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Last year&#8217;s victory doesn&#8217;t guarantee anything&#8217; \u2013 Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot set to defend Tour de France Femmes title with balanced Visma support squad<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dYSKXQQbM5pGANTZd79R9F-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dYSKXQQbM5pGANTZd79R9F-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dYSKXQQbM5pGANTZd79R9F-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dYSKXQQbM5pGANTZd79R9F-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dYSKXQQbM5pGANTZd79R9F-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I never wanted to walk away hating it&#8217; \u2013 Former New Zealand champion Kim Cadzow ends cycling career at 24<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-articletype\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in Features<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8p6Mc4zX9wMKoj4au5g4qe-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8p6Mc4zX9wMKoj4au5g4qe-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8p6Mc4zX9wMKoj4au5g4qe-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8p6Mc4zX9wMKoj4au5g4qe-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8p6Mc4zX9wMKoj4au5g4qe-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Cooke&#8217;s Mont Ventoux masterclass and a C\u00f4te d&#8217;Azur classic \u2013 A history of the Tour de France Femmes&#8217; key climbs<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jYQwNfFJ6KcW6PUrza45Ck-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jYQwNfFJ6KcW6PUrza45Ck-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jYQwNfFJ6KcW6PUrza45Ck-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jYQwNfFJ6KcW6PUrza45Ck-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jYQwNfFJ6KcW6PUrza45Ck-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Will Tadej Poga\u010dar win a sixth Tour de France? &#8211; What can we expect from the 2027 Grand Boucle<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sKWF6VNwL8aBFdUFVhiyPR-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sKWF6VNwL8aBFdUFVhiyPR-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sKWF6VNwL8aBFdUFVhiyPR-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sKWF6VNwL8aBFdUFVhiyPR-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/sKWF6VNwL8aBFdUFVhiyPR-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Wheels &amp; Tyres<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">What are the fastest UCI-legal road wheels? Wind tunnel testing the big-name brands and Chinese contenders<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dbzz8VNsXoCE8rLCWo5WfM-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dbzz8VNsXoCE8rLCWo5WfM-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dbzz8VNsXoCE8rLCWo5WfM-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dbzz8VNsXoCE8rLCWo5WfM-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dbzz8VNsXoCE8rLCWo5WfM-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Delving beyond the Mont Ventoux showstopper: Analysing the key stages of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLhTWBqryzGHCk2dKSRmye-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLhTWBqryzGHCk2dKSRmye-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLhTWBqryzGHCk2dKSRmye-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLhTWBqryzGHCk2dKSRmye-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLhTWBqryzGHCk2dKSRmye-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Pauline will be on the same level or better; we are only focused on ourselves&#8217; \u2013 Inside FDJ United-Suez and Demi Vollering&#8217;s preparation, mindset and ambitions for the Tour de France Femmes<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/S6SdoqqxqDuqxzeaiQu2d7-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/S6SdoqqxqDuqxzeaiQu2d7-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/S6SdoqqxqDuqxzeaiQu2d7-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/S6SdoqqxqDuqxzeaiQu2d7-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/S6SdoqqxqDuqxzeaiQu2d7-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Lying contorted, bleeding, shivering on a Flemish footpath, I was already thinking about that next big race &#8211; Brodie Chapman&#8217;s Tour de France Femmes column<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"max-w-full sponsored-post--placeholder animate-pulse\">\n<div class=\"relative!\"><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"widgetArea17\" class=\"widget-area md:basis-1\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-1-3 page-widget-area-17\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"dynamic\" id=\"popular-data\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-dynamic widget-popular-data widget-dynamic-popular-data widget-dynamic-fter-popular-box\">\n<div class=\"wdn-fte-pb pos-relative space-t20\n\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"slice-container popular-box-slice\">\n<section class=\"popular-box\" data-component-name=\"Slice:PopularBox\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label__tab popular-box__label__tab--active\" role=\"heading\">\nLATEST ARTICLES\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ol class=\"popular-box__articles-list popular-box__articles-list--active\">\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__image-wrapper\">\n<div>\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jYQwNfFJ6KcW6PUrza45Ck-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jYQwNfFJ6KcW6PUrza45Ck-720-80.jpg.webp 720w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jYQwNfFJ6KcW6PUrza45Ck-640-80.jpg.webp 640w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/jYQwNfFJ6KcW6PUrza45Ck-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"99vw\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">1<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">\n<p>Will Tadej Poga\u010dar win a sixth Tour de France? &#8211; What can we expect from the 2027 Grand Boucle<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">2<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">\n<p>&#8216;I don&#8217;t think other teams know our strategy&#8217; \u2013 UAE Team L&#8217;IMAD start Tour de France Femmes with strength in depth and Longo Borghini and Blasi at the helm<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">3<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">\n<p>Jonas Vingegaard reveals Tadej Poga\u010dar messaged him after Tour de France crash, says rivalry has &#8216;become a lot friendlier there in the last couple of years&#8217;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">4<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">\n<p>&#8216;This is the best year for Tadej Poga\u010dar to come&#8217;\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a director confident in Tour de France champion&#8217;s participation, with little concern over likely dominance<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">5<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">\n<p>SD Worx-Protime led by Lotte Kopecky, Lorena Wiebes and Anna van der Breggen at uncontrollable Tour de France Femmes with mixed ambitions<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"news-article\">\n<header data-component-name=\"Article:Hero\">\n<nav class=\"breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol>\n<li>\nPro Cycling\n<\/li>\n<li>\nRacing\n<\/li>\n<li>\nWomen&#8217;s Cycling\n<\/li>\n<li>\nRoad\n<\/li>\n<li>\nTour de France Femmes\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h1>&#8216;I pick my battle, and I choose the Tour de France&#8217; \u2013 Forget year-long dominance, Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot is all about delivering when it counts most<\/h1>\n<div class=\"byline-social\">\n<div class=\"vds-byline-block flex flex-row flex-nowrap my-1.5 gap-2 text-left items-start justify-start\" data-component-name=\"Article:BylineBlock\">\n<p>Features<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-auto vds-simple-byline\"><span class=\"inline-block vds-author\"><br \/>\nBy<br \/>\nSimone Giuliani <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex gap-1 vds-byline-with-avatar__meta\"><span class=\"vds-date block font-normal tracking-normal normal-case text-xs\"><br \/>\nPublished<br \/>\n<time data-component-name=\"UI:DateTime\" datetime=\"2026-07-30T11:10:45Z\" class=\"relative-date\"><br \/>\n30 July 2026<br \/>\n<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"strapline\">The French racer&#8217;s unconventional path toward an attempted title defence on a course with the unfamiliar discipline of time trialling thrown in<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"text-gray-700 flex items-center mx-0 my-5 p-0 justify-start text-left\" id=\"affiliate-disclaimer\" data-component-name=\"AffiliateDisclaimer\" data-hawk-message=\"Affiliate disclaimer removed because hawk deemed there are no affiliate links on this page\">\n<p class=\"text-[color:var(--affiliate-disclaimer--text-color,inherit)] mb-2 text-[length:var(--affiliate-disclaimer--font-size,0.75rem)] leading-[18px] md:text-[13px] [&amp;&gt;a]:text-inherit [&amp;&gt;a]:underline\">\nWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here\u2019s how it works.\n<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\" class=\"text-copy bodyCopy auto paywall-locker\">\n<div data-analytics-id=\"utility-bar\" id=\"utility-bar\" class=\"font-ui-heading flex justify-between items-center py-2 border-t border-b border-gray-300 border-solid mb-5 mx-auto\" data-component-name=\"UtilityBar\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"utility-bar\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div data-component-name=\"Social:Dropdown\" role=\"menu\" id=\"utilitybar__dropdown--share\" aria-labelledby=\"utilitybar__button--share\" class=\"absolute left-0 top-full w-44 bg-white rounded-md shadow-md border border-neutral-200 z-[9996] list-none m-0 py-2 px-3 border-solid\">\n<ul class=\"m-0!\">\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Facebook<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>X<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Pinterest<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Email<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-share-this-article\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nShare this article\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\"><span class=\"ml-1 inline-flex h-5 px-2 shrink-0 items-center justify-center self-center overflow-hidden whitespace-nowrap rounded-[10px] bg-primary-500 text-[11px] leading-none font-ui-heading font-semibold text-white\">3<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-join-the-conversation\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nJoin the conversation\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<p>Follow us<\/p>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-add-us-as-a-preferred-source-on-google\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nAdd us as a preferred source on Google\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-subscribe-to-our-newsletter\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nSubscribe to our newsletter\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-c4f987dc-8bfe-11f1-aa9e-69236dddf18b\">When setting up the list of favourites for a race like the Tour de France Femmes, generally one of the first things to do would be to go and take a look at recent race history to see how the form has been evolving for the season. It&#8217;s the riders that have done well at other Grand Tours, excelled in the mountains or delivered cracking individual time trial results that will give them an edge over other contenders that are likely to go to the top of the list.<\/p>\n<p>However, when it comes to Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot, that&#8217;s not how it works. The French Visma-Lease a Bike rider is cut from a different cloth.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-c4f987dc-8bfe-11f1-aa9e-69236dddf18b-2\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Key rivals like Demi Vollering and Marlen Reusser may have been racking up the race days and victories in recent months, with the Giro d&#8217;Italia win for the Dutch rider and home race victory at the Tour de Suisse for Reusser. On the other hand, the race and results calendar has been unapologetically quiet for the 2025 Tour de France winner and Paris Olympics mountain bike gold medallist, with just 12 race days so far this season and the last of these was in May.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-6 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-[10px] lg:my-8\" data-component-name=\"JwPlayer:Carousel\" data-jwp-carousel data-jwp-carousel-payload=\"{&quot;ids&quot;:{&quot;playerID&quot;:&quot;jYDCcabO&quot;,&quot;searchPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;gwjdoYHD&quot;,&quot;divID&quot;:&quot;botr_gwjdoYHD_jYDCcabO_div&quot;,&quot;fallbackPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;gwjdoYHD&quot;,&quot;fallbackDivID&quot;:&quot;botr_gwjdoYHD_jYDCcabO_div&quot;,&quot;key&quot;:&quot;X9\/mXVGac0NphghLH9hZaqWA5d3dhAM\/Ih07grnEyMLjuO2E&quot;,&quot;tintLogo&quot;:true,&quot;useSearchPlaylist&quot;:false,&quot;enabled&quot;:true},&quot;signPostingEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;signPostingLinkEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;waitForAdLoad&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnDesktop&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnMobile&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnTablet&quot;:false}\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-nowrap items-center justify-between gap-3 bg-zinc-900 px-[14px] py-3\" data-jwp-carousel-header>\n<div class=\"flex min-w-0 shrink items-center\"><span class=\"inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 text-sm font-article-heading capitalize leading-5 text-white whitespace-nowrap\"><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-desktop\">Latest Videos From<\/span><span class=\"jwp-carousel-brand\">Cyclingnews<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"min-h-[44px] bg-zinc-900 px-[14px] py-3\" data-jwp-carousel-signposting><a class=\"invisible block truncate text-sm font-bold leading-5 text-white underline decoration-solid underline-offset-2\" data-jwp-carousel-signposting-link href target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-jwp-carousel-signposting-title>Watch full video here: <\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">On top of that, there isn&#8217;t a victory among those 12 days, and the results from her only stage race at the Vuelta Femenina were less than spectacular, finishing 35th overall. Though that&#8217;s nothing to be concerned about or knock her down the favourites list, she did, after all, claim victory in France in 2025 on the back of a DNS in her previous hit-out in Spain.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">It&#8217;s simply that a packed calendar packed with multiple goals just isn&#8217;t Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot&#8217;s style.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[&apos;&apos;] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[&apos;&apos;] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0 max-w-full\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/x2erRPrkRHSd8wS8rNtXkN-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/x2erRPrkRHSd8wS8rNtXkN-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">Tour de France Femmes contenders \u2013 Demi Vollering and Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot poised for fantastic duel with Ventoux finale<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rh92PYzpUFcZqJj6HdxmCc-250-80.png.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rh92PYzpUFcZqJj6HdxmCc-150-80.png.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">Why a resurgent Marlen Reusser should be a real worry for Demi Vollering and Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot at the Tour de France Femmes \u2013 Analysis<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MaYN5X83X7zFgoHKdrr7da-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MaYN5X83X7zFgoHKdrr7da-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">&#8216;Last year&#8217;s victory doesn&#8217;t guarantee anything&#8217; \u2013 Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot set to defend Tour de France Femmes title with balanced Visma support squad<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;My goal, since the beginning, is to be able to be 100% for the Tour de France, so I never really had in mind to win other races. I know that I need a specific preparation to be able to win races, so I just pick my battle, and I choose the Tour de France as the battle,&#8221; Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot told reporters in an online media conference three days before the race.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;I&#8217;m not the kind of rider who can and who wants to perform all season long; I just want to have a big goal in the season and to commit to it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-vnmX74Ca6KxcxX9zXKyi4d\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-vnmX74Ca6KxcxX9zXKyi4d slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__header\">Get The Leadout Newsletter<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<footer class=\"newsletter-form__footer \">By submitting your information you agree to the Terms &amp; Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.<\/footer>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The Tour de France was always the race that was the raison d&#8217;\u00eatre behind her return to the road after years of focusing on the mountain bike, which culminated with gold at her home Olympics in 2024. That drive hasn&#8217;t changed as a result of delivering a winning blow in the very first season of her multi-year plan to capture victory at the race, which women&#8217;s team manager Rutger Tijssen joked was almost unfortunate because &#8220;my three-year plan was in the trash bin&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">But, all jokes aside, while that may have taken the pressure off, it hasn&#8217;t done anything to reduce its lustre as a goal, with the French rider making clear that the French Grand Tour was an event and experience that held a special place in her heart.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;It&#8217;s not just about winning, you know, also especially because I won last year, so this year I also want to enjoy,&#8221; said Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[&apos;&apos;] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[&apos;&apos;] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0 max-w-full\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" id=\"recirculation-inline-2-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLhTWBqryzGHCk2dKSRmye-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ZLhTWBqryzGHCk2dKSRmye-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">&#8216;Pauline will be on the same level or better; we are only focused on ourselves&#8217; \u2013 Inside FDJ United-Suez and Demi Vollering&#8217;s preparation, mindset and ambitions for the Tour de France Femmes<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" id=\"recirculation-inline-2-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8p6Mc4zX9wMKoj4au5g4qe-250-80.png.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8p6Mc4zX9wMKoj4au5g4qe-150-80.png.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">Cooke&#8217;s Mont Ventoux masterclass and a C\u00f4te d&#8217;Azur classic \u2013 A history of the Tour de France Femmes&#8217; key climbs<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" id=\"recirculation-inline-2-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6Qwro5SviMvjEWT5r6dTD4-250-80.png.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6Qwro5SviMvjEWT5r6dTD4-150-80.png.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">Can FDJ United-SUEZ defend their title without Demi Vollering? \u2013 Analysing the contenders for La Vuelta Femenina 2026<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<h2 id=\"some-things-change-others-stay-the-same-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Some things change, others stay the same<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout kiosq-b\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-e0491e8c-8c06-11f1-9954-138a20a8d03a\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9dxqH5KU74TVxJTzzqyYV7-1200-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9dxqH5KU74TVxJTzzqyYV7-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9dxqH5KU74TVxJTzzqyYV7-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9dxqH5KU74TVxJTzzqyYV7-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9dxqH5KU74TVxJTzzqyYV7-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9dxqH5KU74TVxJTzzqyYV7-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-c4f9896c-8bfe-11f1-88f2-f9671939535f\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">This hyper-focussed approach hasn&#8217;t always been the way Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot operated. There was a time in her career when she did it all, switching across disciplines and sweeping through to take a swathe of results that at one point saw her hold the road, cyclo-cross and cross-country mountain bike world titles all at once, but as the years rolled on she became more focused.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">That was first in terms of discipline, as Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot honed in on mountain biking before returning to the road, and then she continued also to refine her training to pinpoint key events,<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The sparse calendar, she said, is a good way to keep the motivation fresh, which may not be the case if she had to race weekend after weekend.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;It was good when I was younger. I had the hunger to race a lot, but now I just prefer to train to build for an event and to go in altitude in training camp rather than racing more,&#8221; said Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;I think it&#8217;s because of age; I&#8217;m now 34, and I don&#8217;t have like the same motivation, I would say, to race every weekend. I think it&#8217;s also why I have fun. It&#8217;s because I know that it&#8217;s not every weekend, and when I come to the race, I know that I&#8217;m ready.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">While the racing schedule may look significantly different to the early years of a career that has now spanned through a decade-and-a-half of successes, disappointments and also obstacles \u2013 including multiple surgeries for iliac artery endofibrosis \u2013 there are some things that remain the same.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Right from the time when Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot was in her early 20s and lining up alongside Marianne Vos for the Rabobank-Liv squad \u2013 and also standing on the overall podium of the Giro d&#8217;Italia GC podium one step below her race-winning teammate \u2013 there is a characteristic that has continually helped drive her toward success.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;She&#8217;s still the same Pauline, but what I learned already from her at a young age, until now, she&#8217;s very determined,&#8221; Vos, who now races with Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot at Visma-Lease a Bike, said in a pre-Tour de France Femmes media conference.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;When she has her mind on something, she will make it work, and we&#8217;ve seen that, of course, in different disciplines and different goals that she set, and eventually she got to the goal and made it happen.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;Next to that, she&#8217;s just very good to have in the team. Loyal, nice, and, as I said, also very determined. She knows what she wants, and she knows what she needs, and that&#8217;s actually really nice to have in the team because you really work together for the same goal. When there&#8217;s such a leader in the team, you know what you go for.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout kiosq-b\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-e0491f4a-8c06-11f1-b600-e7e1ae20c7de\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4nwyoyoBzZvZskn8vWY5xT-1200-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4nwyoyoBzZvZskn8vWY5xT-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4nwyoyoBzZvZskn8vWY5xT-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4nwyoyoBzZvZskn8vWY5xT-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4nwyoyoBzZvZskn8vWY5xT-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4nwyoyoBzZvZskn8vWY5xT-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"the-ticking-clock-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The ticking clock<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-c4f98a34-8bfe-11f1-93d7-55973d274b13\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The Visma-Lease a Bike team has clear goals, and while stage wins and an early yellow jersey would be nice, capturing it on the final day is the overriding target.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Still, winning one year is far from a guarantee of being able to win another, as it&#8217;s not just the competitors and form that vary, but also the parcours.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;Every year is going to be different, so you need to adapt,&#8221; said Tijssen, referring to a skill Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot is clearly adept at considering her varied successes.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The standout change this year, when the course was announced in October, was a time trial over 21km on stage 4, which, in theory at least, was an advantage to riders like Reusser, Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx) and Vollering who populated the steps of the time trial podium at the World Championships in 2025. The defending champion, on the other hand, hasn&#8217;t raced a single UCI individual time trial since her road return.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">When asked if, given her inexperience in the area, it was like starting from zero when she started working on the time trial preparation, Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot quipped that actually, &#8220;I had to start from minus ten.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Still, with her proven ability to deliver, even without a track record in the discipline, it&#8217;s hard to imagine she&#8217;ll end up on the start line anything but prepared.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;I really like this kind of challenge, so I took it very seriously, and I think I did my homework quite well,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The work on positioning, aerodynamic testing and simulations got underway soon after the route was announced and from November the efforts on the time trial bike were a regular part of the routine.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;Indeed, we spent quite some time on the time trial bike, really two, three times a week at least,&#8221; said Tijssen of the focus on this area. &#8220;And not just doing easy spins, but also really training on it without losing the focus on what she&#8217;s good at. Because in the end, you should always try to make the athlete better in what she&#8217;s already really good at, instead of putting too much emphasis on the challenges and the things that she&#8217;s not that good at.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;So we maintain focus on what she was really good at, which is long climbing, being race ready for Saturday, and that, for her, means being really ready in every aspect of the race. And we never lose sight of the explosive part of women&#8217;s cycling, because the races are being decided on the two in a three minutes effort, so we took them into consideration as well.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout kiosq-b\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-e0492008-8c06-11f1-a13c-058ac625d777\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWXVEPVQuUuBPhs82i9VpP-1200-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWXVEPVQuUuBPhs82i9VpP-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWXVEPVQuUuBPhs82i9VpP-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWXVEPVQuUuBPhs82i9VpP-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWXVEPVQuUuBPhs82i9VpP-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RWXVEPVQuUuBPhs82i9VpP-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-c4f98a98-8bfe-11f1-926f-17acc646f509\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Last year it was a winning effort on the Col de la Madeleine which put Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot in the overall lead and whipped French fans into a frenzy, the roadsides packed with cheering and sign-waving fans even hours ahead of when the home-nation hero would pass through in yellow.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The queen stage this year ends on Mont Ventoux, a 15.7km climb averaging 8.8% that Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot has tackled repeatedly in her preparation because &#8220;I really like to know where I put my wheels&#8221;. On first glance its not that dissimilar from the Col de Madeleine at 8.8% at 18.6km but when it comes down to the detail there are significant differences.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;It&#8217;s a hard climb. It&#8217;s different than Madeleine because I think the wind also will have more of an impact. It&#8217;s a climb, also, where after Chalet Reynard you need also quite some power because it&#8217;s a more flattish part,&#8221; said Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot, pointing out that on the other hand there had been no time for recovery on Madeleine.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;I think maybe we will have more like team tactics for Ventoux than we could see last year for Madeleine.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Whatever happens, it&#8217;s clear that Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot and the team have put in the work to try and, as Tijssen put it, &#8220;make the uncomfortable comfortable, and make the uncontrollable controllable&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">In the days ahead of the Tour de France Femmes start in Lausanne Switzerland, that has left Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot confident in her preparation and smiling her way through media conferences, but also well aware of the potential challenges ahead.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;I feel happy and at the moment relaxed, so let&#8217;s see,&#8221; said Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot. &#8220;In a few days, maybe I will be crying and unhappy. But at the moment, I&#8217;m in a good way.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">There may not be any predicting exactly what may unfold once the racing starts on Saturday, but there is an attitude that Tijssen believes will stand her in good stead, and that is that &#8220;there is just one way, and that&#8217;s moving forward&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;There is nothing that&#8217;s going to hold her back from being as good as she can be when she has her peak moment.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-c4f98af2-8bfe-11f1-9af9-51a904c14c36\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"><strong>Support our unrivalled coverage of the Tour de France Femmes and women&#8217;s cycling by subscribing to Cyclingnews. In return, you get unlimited access to high-quality journalism, with breaking news, race analysis, and expert insight from inside the women&#8217;s peloton. Plus, the Cyclingnews app lets you follow the action wherever you go! <\/strong><u><strong>Join today.<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/womens-cycling\/i-pick-my-battle-and-i-choose-the-tour-de-france-forget-year-long-dominance-pauline-ferrand-prevot-is-all-about-delivering-when-it-counts-most\/&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LwGNhVYdXrv3dnnhovVZoi-2560-80.png&#8221;] 1 Eight conclusions from the Tour de France \u2013 A new Poga\u010dar, Evenepoel&#8217;s next challenge and questions over racing in July 2 Tour de France Femmes contenders \u2013 Demi Vollering and Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot poised for fantastic duel with Ventoux finale 3 &#8216;I&#8217;ve shown I deserve to dream&#8217; &#8211; Remco Evenepoel says second [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,68],"class_list":["post-2070176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-cyclingnews-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2070176","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2070176"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2070176\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2070176"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2070176"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2070176"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}