Pauline Ferrand-Prévot made a decision at the bottom of the final climb of stage nine of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. It was the type of decision that only a rider of her breathtaking ability, in her career-best form, can make: should she win or not? The Frenchwoman had survived through the chaos of the stage, protected her race lead and it was all uphill to the finish. This was her safe ground and there was nothing left to go wrong. The choice was simply whether she should roll in and enjoy the glorious final kilometres in yellow or whether she should attack and suffer for another stage win. You all know what happened next.
“I knew I was safe by the bottom of the climb and this morning I discussed with my sports director about my tactics because I thought it could be good to win in yellow,” Ferrand-Prévot grinned in her post-race press conference, resplendent in the maillot jaune and holding the toy lion she had just been awarded on the podium close to her chest.
“On the last climb he said to me ‘you can decide if you want to win or not,’ and I didn’t know as I wanted to enjoy the last kilometres of the climb in yellow. But when Demi [Vollering] attacked, I counter-attacked so I thought just go for it and don’t look back. I didn’t really enjoy those last kilometres in the end but afterwards it was so worth it.”
Being this good – so much better than the rest of the peloton – grants you a type of freedom. Ferrand-Prévot’s exhibition in the final two stages of this Tour de France Femmes had shades of Tadej Pogačar’s performances in the men’s Tour just a few weeks ago. These are riders who are a level above their competitors in such a way that they are granted the rare privilege of controlling the bike race in one of the most unpredictable sports in the world. It is pure dominance. It is winning by margins of multiple minutes. It is the type of unflappable supremacy that only comes around once in a generation.
With her Tour de France Femmes victory, Ferrand-Prévot has achieved unquestionable greatness. It is true that her palmarès in the sport so far were already magnificently accomplished – an Olympic gold medal, a world title on the road, a Paris-Roubaix win – but the yellow jersey has proved we have never seen a bike rider like the Frenchwoman before. Ferrand-Prévot’s versatility is what makes her stand out – she can finesse the trails on a mountain bike with perfect skill, she can conquer the brutal cobbles of the Hell of the North with confidence and she can climb mountains like she was born to do it. We all knew that the yellow jersey dream was achievable for Ferrand-Prévot, and the French public allowed themselves to hope for it, but to win in such dominant style is something that even the most seasoned of cycling enthusiasts will have found impressive.
The natural next thing to consider when it comes to the French rider and the legacy she will leave behind in this sport is: what comes next? She has two years remaining on her contract with Visma-Lease a Bike, she is 33 years of age and currently, she seems at the very top of her game. But Ferrand-Prévot has already won so much – is there still the drive for more?
“There are still plenty of races I haven't won," she smiles when this question is posed to her at the finish of stage nine of the Tour. “I would like to win the Tour of Flanders and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, these kinds of races.”
What Ferrand-Prévot is keen to stress is that after almost 15 years as a professional bike rider, her passion for her sport still burns brighter than ever. It is this that made the pain, sacrifice and hard work to win the yellow jersey on her shoulders doable. Ferrand-Prévot is motivated by an appreciation for what she is achieving. By a beautiful, pure and simple love for the game.
“I still have two years of contract, I still love what I am doing and I just want to continue because it is my life,” she concludes. “I love what I am doing with this team and I’m sure we will find plenty of goals still. I will try to win as many races as possible.”
