"I did my best power output over ten minutes" - Pauline Ferrand-Prévot dismisses lack of form discourse and aims for Mont Ventoux
CyclingThursday, 06 August 2026 at 19:49
The Tour de France Femmes is about to head into Mont Ventoux, where the overall classification is likely to be decided. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot has virtually been cast aside from the fight for the overall win. But on the queen stage she may win, as she fully dismissed the idea that she doesn't have her best form.
Ferrand-Prévot saves dangerous day
"To be honest, it was full throttle all day, which was nice because the time went by quickly that way," the French rider said in a post-race interview. After the time loss on stages 4 and 5, the Frenchwoman is no longer aiming for the yellow jersey. She is racing more freely, with more freedom, and looked to create opportunities for herself to fight for the stage win.
Instead, it was Sarah van Dam who managed to get in the front group and fight for the stage win. The Canadian was fourth at the end of the day.
"I am so proud of them; they are developing so fast and learning and developing. It is beautiful to see them racing at the front, really as part of the race".
Meanwhile Femke de Vries, the best rider from Team Visma | Lease a Bike at the start of the day when it came to the overall classification, struggled on the day's many climbs and lost several minutes and her place in the Top10. Ferrand-Prévot finished the stage in the group of Demi Vollering and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, avoiding time losses and ascending from 17th to 15th in the overall classification as a result.
Read also
Ferrand-Prévot's best 10-minute effort ever
On stage 7, the riders will go up Mont Ventoux and finish on the mythical climb. It will be the queen stage of the race, the most important in the fight for the yellow jersey and the one that suits Ferrand-Prévot, the winner 12 months ago at the Tour, the best.
Her form had been questioned, but on the opposite, she states that she feels quite good and her form is on point. "My level is quite good, the others are just better. You have to be honest and realistic about that. My level is amazing, I did my best power output over ten minutes yesterday, but the level around me has just grown a lot".
It will be an important day but in the bigger picture, the veteran is putting a lot of emphasis on the team's performance. "Then it is nice to see that my teammates are developing and that they really want to learn," she concluded.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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