Châtel, France – In a triumphant return to road racing, French sensation Pauline Ferrand-Prevot soloed to a glorious victory in Stage 9 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift on Sunday, sealing the overall title and etching her name into cycling history. The Olympic mountain bike champion, who only joined the road racing scene last year, clinched the prestigious yellow jersey by a commanding 3 minutes and 42 seconds over Dutch formidable Demi Vollering, with last year’s winner Katarzyna Niewiadoma of Poland securing third overall.
A Return to Road Racing Culminates in Dream Victory
The 33-year-old Ferrand-Prevot, riding for Visma–Lease a Bike, described her overall victory as “the goal of [her] life as an athlete.” This triumph culminates a season where, after seven years primarily dedicated to mountain biking, she made a sensational comeback to road racing. This included a monumental win at Paris-Roubaix Femmes earlier in the season – a feat that makes her the first rider since Bernard Hinault in 1981 to win both Paris-Roubaix and a Tour de France in the same year.
Her formidable palmarès now includes this Tour de France title, adding to her impressive collection of 15 world titles across diverse cycling disciplines, including mountain biking, cyclo-cross, and road racing.
French Cycling Celebrates a Homegrown Champion
Ferrand-Prevot’s victory holds immense historical significance for French cycling. She becomes the first French rider to win the modern women’s Tour de France since its relaunch, now in its fourth edition. The last Frenchwoman to claim a Tour title was Jeannie Longo, 36 years ago, in the former iteration of the race, the Tour de France Féminin. Ferrand-Prevot’s achievement ends a long wait for a homegrown champion in the nation’s most iconic cycling event, sparking widespread national pride.
On the brutal final stage in the Alps, stretching from Praz-sur-Arly to Châtel, Ferrand-Prevot showcased her strength and tactical prowess. “It was so difficult (this stage). I wanted to win here in the yellow jersey. It’s a dream,” she stated, reflecting on her solo charge to the finish line. After numerous early attacks, including a strong move from Vollering, Ferrand-Prevot launched her decisive counter with around 6.5km to go on the final uphill drag to Châtel, leaving her rivals in her wake and soaking up the adulation of the ecstatic crowds as she crossed the finish line. Her tears at the finish line encapsulated the sheer emotion of achieving such a monumental victory.
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