Pauline Ferrand-Prévot Wins Tour de France Femmes, First French Champion Since 1989

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot has made history by winning the Tour de France Femmes, becoming the first French rider to claim victory in the prestigious race since 1989.

France has not celebrated a home champion in its iconic cycling event since Bernard Hinault’s men’s victory in 1985 and Jeannie Longo’s women’s title in 1989. Ferrand-Prévot ended that decades-long wait with a powerful performance that saw her take the yellow jersey and hold it through the final stage.

A former Olympic mountain bike champion, Ferrand-Prévot had returned to road cycling this year with the goal of winning the Tour within three years. It took her only one.

She secured her victory on the penultimate stage by pulling away from her rivals on the 18.6-kilometer Col de la Madeleine climb, gaining more than three minutes on defending champion Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney and 2023 winner Demi Vollering.

Heading into the final stage with a substantial lead, Ferrand-Prévot faced challenges early on when she dropped behind her competitors on the valley roads. Her team rallied to protect her position, allowing her to recover and launch a decisive solo attack with six kilometers to go. She crossed the line alone, sealing her overall win.

In the general classification, Ferrand-Prévot finished three minutes and 42 seconds ahead of Vollering, with Niewiadoma-Phinney in third place.

This victory marks a triumphant moment for French cycling and cements Ferrand-Prévot’s remarkable comeback to road racing.

Credit: CNN Newsource

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