Mathieu Warnier, Media365: published on Sunday December 1, 2024 at 10:30 p.m.
After winning everything in mountain biking, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot launched her preparation for the 2025 season, which will see her return to road cycling. If the ambition to win the Tour de France is very present, the Rémoise does not want to skip the steps.
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is now in the thick of things. After devoting the last nine years to mountain biking, a chapter concluded with an Olympic champion title won at home, the Champenoise will make her return to the road in 2025 with the Visma-Lease a Bike team. A change of direction which materialized a little more with a visit to the racing department of the Dutch team this week. On this occasion, “PFP” spoke at length to the specialized site Cyclism’Actuexplaining the reasons for his choice to reconnect with the professional peloton. “In any case, I didn’t want to do mountain biking again until the 2028 Olympics,” she explained. But I wasn't tired of riding either. I gained experience and maturity. » In his eyes, “it was time to change” but without regrets. “Mentally, it wasn't hard to move on from mountain biking, because I'm very excited about what I want to do,” she said. When formalizing her decision to resume road cycling, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot stated that her goal was to win the Tour de France. A few months later, this has absolutely not changed but the three-year contract with the Visma-Lease a Bike team confirms that it is a medium-term goal and not immediate.
Ferrand-Prévot: “I know I can be a good road cyclist”
“The main goal is to learn as much as possible, to really be the best and try to win the Tour de France,” she said. A presence in Vannes, which will host the Grand Départ of the event on July 26, for which the Rémoise intends to do everything to obtain it. “What is certain is that I will do the Tour de France,” she confided before correcting herself. Finally, if I am selected. » Showing mystery about her program for the entire 2025 season, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot assures that this will not involve a winter in cyclo-cross, a discipline of which she was crowned world champion in 2015. “There is a few errands that I would like to do, she admitted, however. I won the Flèche Wallonne in 2014, it’s one of my best memories. I would like to climb the Huy wall again. » In any case, the first training sessions left a fairly positive impression as to his ability to perform well on the road. “Based on my power data, I know I can be a good road cyclist. It's just a matter of time, she said. I have to work with my teammates, practice running in a peloton, study the races. I know I can perform one day, but I don't know if I can ten days in a row, in a stage race. » Answers that will come throughout a year during which “PFP” will be closely scrutinized at each release.
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