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Pauline Ferrand-Prévot: How MTB Skills Led to Tour de France Victory

by Alex Carter - Sports Editor

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ANNECY, FRANCE – August 4, 2025Pauline Ferrand-Prévot etched her name into cycling history today, becoming the first Frenchwoman to win the Tour de France Femmes with a commanding victory in the final stage, a challenging mountain time trial concluding in Annecy.The 33-year-old Movistar Team rider secured the overall general classification (GC) title, finishing 1 minute and 47 seconds ahead of second-place Juliette Labous (DSM-Firmenich PostNL) and 2 minutes and 12 seconds ahead of third-place Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (AG Insurance – Soudal Team).

ferrand-Prévot’s triumph marks a watershed moment for French cycling, ending a 35-year drought since a French rider last won a major Tour de France title.Bernard Hinault claimed victory in the men’s Tour in 1984, while Catherine Marsal won the final edition of the tour de France Féminin in 1990.

Her bike-handling skills were evident throughout the eight-stage race, navigating a demanding course that included crashes and illnesses among key contenders. The early exits of Marlen Reusser (Movistar) due to a crash on Stage 1 and Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) after falling ill, reshaped the GC competition, but ferrand-Prévot consistently remained a threat.

The race reached a pivotal point in the Alps, where Ferrand-Prévot leveraged her extensive experiance and diverse skillset to achieve a decisive stage win and solidify her overall lead. She finished the final stage, a 22.6km individual time trial from Borg-Saint-Maurice to Annecy, in 32 minutes and 58 seconds, further extending her advantage.

Cycling’s most versatile champion

photo-alignnone">Pauline Ferrand-Prévot: How MTB Skills Led to Tour de France Victory
Ferrand-Prévot celebrates her Tour de France Femmes victory in Annecy. (Photo: Szymon Gruchalski/Getty Images)

The yellow jersey represents the pinnacle of a remarkable career defined by unparalleled versatility. Ferrand-Prévot boasts an astounding 14 mountain bike (MTB) world titles across disciplines including cross-country,marathon,short track,and team relay. She also holds world championships in cyclocross (CX), road cycling, and gravel racing.

The Olympics had previously eluded her grasp. After four Olympic appearances, including a challenging experience at the 2016 Rio Games, she persevered to win gold in the mountain bike event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, finally securing an Olympic medal.

Ferrand-Prévot’s success began in her teenage years, and she has consistently demonstrated mastery

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