Pauline Ferrand-Prévot says her Tour de France Femmes preparation has followed the plan she built around defending yellow.
The Visma-Lease a Bike rider will begin the race on Saturday in Lausanne as the leading favourite. She won last year’s edition on debut by more than three and a half minutes over Demi Vollering.
Ferrand-Prévot told reporters on Wednesday that her work started when the route appeared last October. She said she feels ready, both physically and mentally, for her main objective.
She said her goal from the start was to reach the Tour at 100 percent. She did not chase victories across her whole programme, instead choosing the Tour as her key battle.
Tour de France Femmes route rewards preparation
Last year, Ferrand-Prévot decided the race on the Col de la Madeleine. Her solo stage eight victory gave her more than three minutes over Vollering on the summit finish.
This year, the race uses another landmark climb. Mont Ventoux arrives on stage seven and should again shape the general classification.
Ferrand-Prévot has not left that challenge to memory alone. She said she has climbed Ventoux many times, including several visits after learning it would feature in the Tour.
The Frenchwoman said she likes to know exactly where she will place her wheels. That approach drove repeated reconnaissance rides on the mountain.
She described Ventoux as different from the Madeleine. Wind could play a larger role, especially above Chalet Reynard.
After Chalet Reynard, 14.5km into the 21km ascent, she expects riders to need sustained power. She said the section feels flatter than the Madeleine and may invite more team tactics.
The Madeleine offered few chances to recover, according to Ferrand-Prévot. Ventoux may create a different race, despite its reputation as one of cycling’s hardest climbs.
Time trial work adds another test
Stage four will give Ferrand-Prévot a challenge she cannot manage with team support. The race includes a 21km individual time trial into Dijon.
Ferrand-Prévot returned to the road from mountain biking last year. She has not raced a time trial since the 2021 French National Championships, where she finished fifth.
Asked whether she began from zero, she joked that she started from minus 10. She then outlined a full programme to regain speed against the clock.
That work included time on the TT bike, position adjustments, testing, wind tunnel sessions, aerosuit checks and race simulation.
Ferrand-Prévot said she has spent many hours on the time trial bike. She called the discipline a challenge and said she took the preparation seriously.
Her form line differs from Vollering’s ahead of the race. Ferrand-Prévot has not won this year, while Vollering has taken 10 victories.
Even so, the defending champion said the smooth build-up leaves her relaxed. She expects the general classification to keep suspense until the end.
Home roads could shape the final day
If the race remains close, the last stage offers Ferrand-Prévot familiar terrain. Stage nine runs near Monaco, around 20 minutes from her home.
The route includes four ascents of the Col d’Èze, a climb she uses regularly in training. Ferrand-Prévot said she rides it almost every day.
She described the finale as special because of that connection. Racing on those roads would give her another memory to carry into future training rides.
Ferrand-Prévot can become the first rider to win the Tour de France Femmes twice. The race is now in its five-year history.
She said another victory would not change her life, because she has already won the race. That perspective has helped her stay calm before the Grand Départ.
Ferrand-Prévot said she remains highly motivated and will try hard to win again. For now, she believes she has done everything possible.
The nine-day Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift begins Saturday 1 August in Lausanne, Switzerland.