"My ultimate goal is to compete for Tour de France Femmes victory" - Pauline Ferrand-Prévot remains ambitious ahead of the season start

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, the reigning Olympic mountain bike champion, is set to return to road cycling in 2025. The 32-year-old French cyclist, who became road world champion in 2014, hopes to relive those glory days in the colours of Visma | Lease a Bike. The goal is no less than a victory at the Tour de France Femmes!

It's not a new environment for Ferrand-Prévot either as she had raced in the jersey of Rabobank, the predecessor of Visma | Lease a Bike, between 2012 and 2016. In her return, she'll reunite with at least one familiar face - Marianne Vos. "Those were the best five years of my career," she said enthusiastically in a team press release. "I raced with Marianne back then, someone I deeply respect. She’s not only an amazing rider but also a wonderful person."

Ferrand-Prévot’s long-term ambitions know no end, although she is well-aware that she'll first need to take many smaller steps. "My ultimate goal is to compete for victory in the Tour de France Femmes over the next three years," she states confidently. "But I’ll need some time to settle in, so for now, realism is my guiding principle. In 2025, I mainly want to learn and identify areas for improvement. The most important thing is to give it our all and be able to say we left nothing on the table."

In addition to the Tour de France Femmes, she’s also targeting key classics like Strade Bianche. "My first major personal goal will be Strade Bianche. I think it’s a beautiful race, and the course suits me well. I love challenges, and I want to win races and create great memories with the team, alongside riders like Marianne."

Although Ferrand-Prévot already feels at home in her new team, she recognizes that the true test will come during the races. "We haven’t started racing yet, so some bumps in the road will inevitably appear. Everything feels perfect now, but that might change once the season officially begins. Losing is part of the process, and that’s how you learn," she concluded honestly.