"I wasn't even used to eating on the bike anymore" - Pauline Ferrand-Prévot on process of re-learning what road racing is like after transition from MTB
Cycling
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot's return to road cycling might be one of the most anticipated events of the 2025 season. The successful 32-year-old mountain biker who is also former road World Champion declared attack on Tour de France Femmes victory.
Speaking to press including IDLProCycling.com, she spoke about her decision to quit MTB and return to road with Visma | Lease a Bike: "I asked myself last winter what the right thing to do after the Olympics was. I am not planning to attend the next Olympics, but I'm certainly not tired of cycling yet. It was an excellent time to switch to road cycling, which is a new chapter after all. INEOS Grenadiers does not currently have a women's team, so I chose this team. A team would be ready to support me at 32 because I don't have that many years left."
In order to take on the likes of Demi Vollering or Lotte Kopecky, no half-effort would do - therefore the Frenchwoman will only compete on road in 2025: "I will no longer do cyclo-cross or mountain biking, and focus completely on the road. I signed up for three years and want to do everything I can to win the Tour, so that's my main goal. My program will be announced on January 14 because I don't know exactly what it will look like."
"I have to work hard for it, that's for sure. Based on my power data, I can be a good rider, but it's also a matter of time. I must get used to riding in a peloton again and the tactics and everything that comes with road cycling. At least they know how to win the Tour at the team, as you saw with Jonas Vingegaard."
It's not like Pauline Ferrand-Prevot comes to road as complete newbie, but with last big road races completed in 2018 and last stage race even further back in 2015, has the women's racing changed since? "The races are longer, but only ten riders could win in the past. But most importantly, it is a different sport from mountain biking: it is one hour at full speed, and you have time to relax in the descents, but that is completely different. And also in terms of nutrition, it's completely different; I wasn't even used to eating on the bike anymore."
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.
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- 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
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