Pauline Ferrand-Prévot time trial questions followed a difficult stage 4 at the Tour de France Femmes.
The defending champion lost significant ground between Gevrey-Chambertin and Dijon, finishing 34th on the stage. Her first time trial since returning to road racing was always a likely test. The size of the loss still changed the shape of her race.
Ferrand-Prévot now trails new yellow jersey Marlen Reusser by 2:13 overall. She also sits 1:56 behind close rival Demi Vollering of FDJ United-Suez.
Reusser won the stage and looked more settled in the position than Ferrand-Prévot. The Visma-Lease a Bike leader appeared less comfortable throughout the effort.
At the finish in Dijon, Ferrand-Prévot said she had done all she could. She told reporters she pushed as hard as possible and could not change the result afterward.
Ferrand-Prévot time trial position draws attention
Ferrand-Prévot’s elevated time trial setup drew notice during the stage. Her position looked higher than those used by Reusser and Vollering.
The French rider defended that choice after the finish. She said the team had tested the setup on the track and in the wind tunnel.
She also said her body had changed after two operations on the iliac artery in her groin. Those factors shaped the position selected for the Dijon course.
Ferrand-Prévot explained that, as a petite rider, a higher setup worked better for her. She acknowledged it was neither the prettiest nor universally fastest position. But she said it was the fastest option for her.
The time loss came early and kept growing. By the Lacets de Marsannay climb, near halfway, she had already conceded 1:21.
Ferrand-Prévot also pointed to the conditions. She said the heat affected her sensations, though she noted every rider faced the same challenge.
She said she could not judge whether she felt especially good or bad. Her focus stayed on riding full gas and holding an aero position.
French support remains strong despite GC setback
Any disappointment was not obvious during her cooldown near the Visma-Lease a Bike campervan. The team vehicle was around 500 meters from the Dijon finish.
After speaking with journalists, Ferrand-Prévot signed autographs for a supportive crowd of more than 100 fans. Spectators called out “Bravo Pauline” and applauded when she appeared.
The time trial was never expected to be her strongest day. Ferrand-Prévot said she was happy it was over.
The situation is now clear for both rider and team. Visma-Lease a Bike must chase time, and Ferrand-Prévot must attack.
She said the outcome would also depend on her rivals and their condition. Still, she vowed to give everything to close the two-minute gap.
Ferrand-Prévot added that she enjoys racing from behind more than carrying favorite status. She called the chase a “nice challenge.”
Ventoux looms as chance to regain time
The broader question is whether Ferrand-Prévot has reached her best form this summer. Stage 3 offered another warning sign.
On Monday, she briefly lost the wheel of several favorites after attacks from Kim Le Court-Pienaar of AG Insurance-Soudal. She later regained contact in the finale.
Ferrand-Prévot expects more pressure on the coming stages. She said the short climbs brought no gifts, and she expects the same again.
Visma-Lease a Bike team manager Rutger Tijssen said the squad had expected a gap. He said they now know the task: close it.
The race still has major climbing ahead. Stage 7 finishes on Mont Ventoux on Friday, and Tijssen expects larger gaps there.
He described Ventoux as brutal, long, and steep. He said more separation should come than the one-and-a-half to two minutes seen in the time trial.
The Dijon time trial reshaped the Tour de France Femmes general classification. For Ferrand-Prévot, the path back now depends on aggressive racing in the mountains.
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