PAULINE FERRAND-PRÉVOT

The French super-talent owned the road in 2025

- Words: Chris Marshall-Bell Photos: Getty Images

Everyone knew that Pauline Ferrand-Prévot – a world champion in four different disciplines – was an exceptional bike rider. As such, very few doubted that her return to the road scene in 2025 after a six-year hiatus would be a success. But no one could have foreseen the glory that the French superstar enjoyed this year.

It was meant to be a season of finding her legs in the road peloton once again, and working towards achieving her ultimate ambition of winning the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. An end date of 2027 was put on that target. Yet the Visma-Lease a Bike rider, 33, made a barnstorming return, reminding everyone of her unique talent as soon as the spring got underway. Podium finishes at Strade Bianche and the Tour of Flanders were perhaps to be expected – after all, she had excelled on short, punchy climbs during her mountain bike years – but a 58-second victory at Paris-Roubaix, a flat brute of a race devoid of any significant climbing challenges, was not.

Even more unexpected was winning the Tour on debut, especially in so crushing a manner. Ferrand-Prévot triumphed on the Col de la Madeleine by a huge 1:45 minute margin, making sure of her victory the following day at Châtel to win the race overall by 3:42. It was an exhibition, and it's why Ferrand-Prévot is very deservedly