“I was certainly nervous in the car too" - Visma admit tense moments in Pauline Ferrand-Prévot scare at Tour de France Femmes
Cycling
Visma | Lease a Bike endured some tense moments on stage 3 of the Tour de France Femmes as defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot was put on the backfoot as the favourites jousted for some early bragging rights, but they have insisted that all is well heading into the time trial on Tuesday.
With Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset's remarkable 88-kilometer solo effort seeing her cruising to victory, the French rider was part of the group of favourites as they broke free from the peloton in the finale of the stage, but it wasn't plain sailing from there.
Mauritian champion Kim Le Court started the fireworks with an aggressive attack, which Ferrand-Prévot followed. But Kasia Niewiadoma's attack soon after put her under pressure as she only returned to the favourites group with 13 kilometers to go.
Although admitting that there were some moments of worry in the team car, Visma are happy with the first three stages of the race and insisted that the rider felt good and comfortable.
“She said she felt good and that everything went according to plan,” Sports Director Jos Van Emden told Sporza.
Ferrand-Prévot ready for those moments
Ferrand-Prévot had been prepared for these moments on the team bus. Van Emden noted that in 2025, she found herself in similar situations before her legs did the talking on the longer climbs.
"These were scenarios we had discussed beforehand," Van Emden said. "Then it becomes a matter of seeing how the competition responds, and our analysis of the rivals was confirmed.
"It costs them energy too. Last year, she also had to close a gap several times after an acceleration. That is simply part of the type of rider she is. When the climbs become longer, it will be different again."
Reflecting on Le Court's aggression, Van Emden admitted it's nothing out of the ordinary and that the team remain confident of besting her despite Monday's scare.
"Le Court is impressive now,” he said. “She was last year as well, until the climbs became longer. I am not saying we will beat her. It is simply about the characteristics of each rider."
Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset wins stage 3 of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes
"I was certainly nervous"
"I was certainly nervous in the car too, but I was not surprised," he said.
For Le Court, she had targeted a yellow jersey but was left frustrated by the favourites and their team's lack of urgency to chase the rider ahead given that her team had already played all their cards.
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"The stage did not unfold as I expected,” Le Court told Eurosport. “We knew the gap to the race leader had to be less than a minute at the finish for me to take yellow.
"Unfortunately, my teammates had already done so much work early in the race that they were no longer there when I needed them in the final.
"I expected the other teams to do something because there was an opportunity for them as well."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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