"I know the area quite well": Pauline Ferrand-Prévot sounds optimistic about yellow jersey defense
Cycling
The 2026 Tour de France Femmes route has been revealed and it has quite a few differences compared to 2025. This year, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot was a cut above the rest on the long mountain passes and ultimately won with nearly 4-minute advantage. In 2026, a new challenge with Mont Ventoux will stand between her and yellow jersey, but also a time trial, first of a kind since 2023.
"It’s a super nice route. It’s going to be beautiful, and I really like it. I’m already excited to work hard towards defending my title. Finishing in Nice is fantastic. It means a lot to me, since I live in the area. I know the roads extremely well, which is an advantage. Mont Ventoux is also climb I’ve done many times. It’s actually quite easy for me to train there and to get to know the climb even better," Ferrand-Prévot said on team website after the big presentation.
The race will then move into France, where one of the key stages awaits on day four: a 21-kilometre individual time trial finishing in Dijon - the second-longest time trial in the race’s history, and a day Ferrand-Prévot is ready to take by the horns.
"I think it’s great to have a time trial, especially in this region. I know the area quite well, riding through the vineyards is amazing. I’m really happy about that stage and looking forward to it. I’m ready to put in the work on the time trial. It’s a chance to ride a different bike and develop yet another discipline, which is something I really enjoy," the defending champion remarked.
Words of team director
"It’s a complete Tour, and that’s the challenge. In terms of the parcours, there’s not much that’s dramatically different from last year. It’s never really flat, not even in the first stages. There’s one ultimate test with the Mont Ventoux, which will make the big separation. It’s comparable to Col de la Madeleine from this year, perhaps slightly tougher due the temperature and the wind," team manager Rutger Tijssen reflected.
"Everything takes place in a relatively small area, with few transfers, which is nice. The time trial is back, which is a great challenge and requires a slightly different preparation compared to last year. We need to take a step forward here, also with Pauline. It’s very trainable, and Pauline has shown that she can make great strides when she sets her mind to something," were the words of Tijssen.
That ability of Ferrand-Prévot has been proven over and over this year. After more than five years completely away from road cycling, the Frenchwoman returned from the world of mountain biking with complete palmares. In 2025, her initial goal was only to get back into the rhythm on road, but a champion such as Ferrand-Prévot doesn't race for just a participation trophy.
And so, she not only won the Paris-Roubaix, but later in summer also the 4th Tour de France Femmes. And she had done so with authority, winning the queen stage on Col du Madeleine by a difference of class.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment