“We can’t reveal everything now... but the harder the race is, the better it will be” – Pauline Ferrand-Prevot hints at secret Visma plan to take Liege-Bastogne-Liege glory

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot arrives at Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes with a clear sense of progression rather than peak form, but her confidence in the direction of travel is unmistakable.

Speaking to Cycling Pro Net on the eve of the race, the French rider outlined both the physical differences of the Ardennes and why Sunday may suit her better than what has come before. “Of course it’s still cycling, but it’s quite different,” Ferrand-Prévot said, reflecting on the shift from the cobbled Classics to the Ardennes. “In Flanders and Roubaix, positioning was really important and then you just had to try to survive on the cobbled sections. Here it’s more rolling, so the race will be harder and you’ll have to race intelligently.”

That transition has defined her spring so far. After building through the cobbled block, the move into the Ardennes has come with a gradual rise in condition rather than immediate results, something she openly acknowledged.

“I’m in good shape at the moment. I’m not at my best yet, but I’m improving week by week, so that’s interesting,” she said. “I think tomorrow will suit me a bit more than Flèche, or at least I hope so. I’m looking forward to seeing what it can bring and how we can race collectively.”

Ferrand-Prévot’s relationship with the Ardennes has always been slightly nuanced. A former winner of La Flèche Wallonne, she pointed to the specific demands of that race as a contrast to what Liège is likely to offer.

“I think it suits me well,” she said of Liège. “The climbs are a bit longer and less punchy. The Mur de Huy is really something special, it’s very steep and you need explosiveness. I feel like I have a bit less of that as the years go by, so I hope tomorrow will suit me a bit better.”

That distinction matters in the current landscape of the women’s peloton. With riders like Demi Vollering dominating on explosive climbs such as the Mur, Liège’s longer efforts and more tactical finale open the door to a broader range of contenders, particularly those able to endure repeated efforts rather than rely on a single decisive acceleration.

Ferrand-Prévot’s steady progression through the spring places her just outside that top tier on recent results, but very much within reach if the race develops in a more attritional direction.

While her form is trending in the right direction, her approach to how the race might unfold remained deliberately guarded. “We can’t reveal everything for now, but the harder the race is, the better it will be for me,” she said.

It is a simple line, but one that speaks to the kind of scenario she is targeting. A controlled race decided by a small group would favour the established favourites, but a more aggressive, selective contest could shift the balance towards riders still building into their peak.

For Ferrand-Prévot, Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes represents exactly that opportunity. Not yet at her absolute best, but improving at the right moment, she heads into the final Monument of the spring with both clarity on what suits her and a clear preference for how the race needs to unfold.

What remains unseen, at least for now, is how that approach will be put into action when the race finally opens up on the roads to Liège.