History beckons for Pauline Ferrand-Prevot after astonishing domination of Queen Stage at 2025 Tour de France Femmes

Team Visma | Lease a Bike's Pauline Ferrand-Prevot raised a few eyebrows when she announced a return to the road with the intention of winning the Tour de France Femmes. After a dominant performance on the Queen Stage this Saturday afternoon however, the French star is in the Maillot Jaune and set to end the long wait for a French Tour winner.

A strong 14-woman group broke free on the first climb of the day to form the breakaway. Notably, Maillot Jaune Kim Le Court herself was attentive at the front and attempting to follow the moves early, although ultimately unsuccessful in getting up the road. Among those who did get in the break meanwhile, were the likes of: QoM leader Elise Chabbey, Evita Muzic, Yara Kastelijn, Marion Bunel, Maeva Squiban, Riejanne Markus, Justine Ghekiere and the closest threat on GC at 3:57, Niamh Fisher-Black.

Le Court was right at the front of the peloton heading into the final 60km, managing the pace of the bunch on the descent. Misjudging a high-speed corner, however, Le Court was unable to stop herself from going off the road, somersaulting into a ditch at the roadside.

With 48km to go, Le Court's chasing paid off as she rejoined the rest of her GC contenders ahead of the penultimate climb of the day, a Cat 2 Côte de Saint-Georges-d'Hurtières.

By the time the final climb to the line at the Col de la Madeleine began, the peloton had closed to within two minutes to the front of the breakaway, who's own numbers were diminishing as double-stage winner Squiban began to pay for her efforts in previous days. 

It wasn't long before a number of GC hopefuls were struggling on the Madeline. With Le Court setting a fierce pace at the front of the Maillot Jaune group, the likes of Puck Pieterse and Anna van der Breggen were dropped out the back. At the head of the race meanwhile, Fisher-Black and Kastelijn were proving the strongest of the breakaway.

With 11km to go, Le Court pulled over, and her AG Insurance Soudal teammate Sarah Gigante launched, followed quickly by Visma's Pauline Ferrand-Prevot. As the pair got clear separation from their rivals, they then picked up Marion Bunel from the early break, with the young French star then taking over the pace-setting for her teammate Ferrand-Prevot.

At around 8.5km to go, Bunel then finished her last effort, and when Ferrand-Prevot attacked a second time, Gigante too was distanced. More than a minute down the road meanwhile, last year's winner Katarzyna Niewiadoma and 2023 Maillot Jaune Demi Vollering were both totally distanced by Ferrand-Prevot.

With 7km of the Madeline left, the flying French star made contact with Kastelijn and Fisher-Black at the front of the race and immediately took control right at the head of the group. By the time Ferrand-Prevot entered the final 5km though, she was all alone.

Showing no signs of relenting, the Visma leader continued to put time into all her rivals with every pedal stroke, all the way to a historic stage win. Behind, Gigante was solidifying a podium position, with Niewiadoma and Vollering more than three minutes down on Ferrand-Prevot.