"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

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."

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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."

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