"I'm having a great time. Things are professional" - Pauline Ferrand-Prévot enjoying life after swapping INEOS for Visma

The 2025 women's UAE Tour gets underway today, and for Team Visma | Lease a Bike's former world champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, it marks a return to regular road racing for the first time since the 2018 season. As such, the French, multi-discipline star is understandably keen to make a strong start to life back on the road.

"I feel good. I had a good winter and gained a lot of new insights," previews the 32-year-old Frenchwoman in a pre-UAE Tour press release posted to the official website of Team Visma | Lease a Bike. "The past few months were mainly about adapting. From now on, the transformation to riding races starts. I am very much looking forward to that."

Although she does have proven, race-winning pedigree on the road, as mentioned, for the last few years, Ferrand-Prévot has seen her star shine away from the discipline, winning Rainbow Jerseys in mountain bike and gravel. Nevertheless, the Frenchwoman is looking forward to proving herself on the road once again, starting at the UAE Tour, where the ominous climb of Jebel Hafeet is likely to prove an early challenge. "I think this climb should suit me well," she analyses. "The tricky thing is that I have no idea what to expect and how my level is compared to the other riders. I'm very curious about that. Although the UAE Tour is not a main goal for me, it would be nice to start the season on a positive note."

Having spent the last few years as the only female rider signed to the INEOS Grenadiers, Ferrand-Prévot is also really enjoying being part of a team atmosphere once again. "I'm having a great time. Things are professional and I get on well with everyone. In addition, I can be myself and that is very important to me," Ferrand-Prévot concludes. "I talk to them (the younger riders ed.) a lot and give them advice on how to deal with stress and pressure. I enjoy sharing my experiences with them."