Ferrand-Prévot ranks Tour de France Femmes win above Olympic gold

Speaking to Wielerflits, the multiple world champion struggled to find words. “Yeah, it's crazy. I even don't know what to say,” she said. “Yesterday was an amazing day, but you know that you still have to to give everything for one more day. So yeah, I slept good. But when I wake up this morning, I felt quite stressful and nervous because, you don't know what can happen. And it was such a fast race, like a big battle from the start to the finish. So I'm so happy that I crossed the finish line.”

The win comes less than a year after Ferrand-Prévot captured Olympic gold in mountain biking at the Paris Olympics. But despite the grandeur of that moment, she confessed that this week’s experience may have topped it. “You can't compare, because the Olympics was really something I wanted to achieve in my career and I missed it three times. So, the fourth time I say okay, I can't miss it also in Paris. So, yeah, it was such a nice feeling.”

“But this week, it was just more about enjoying life as a team and being with a team. It was more like a dream, being on a journey with the team. And yeah, it was totally different, but i've enjoyed this week much more that than last year [the Olympics].”

As for what comes next, Ferrand-Prévot is still weighing her options for the World Championships in Rwanda. “I don't know. I didn't want to to go there, but now with the shape I have, I don't know if I can make a call, a last call, but yeah, I have to decide. I need to to rest first and to see how I recover and also to enjoy the moment.”

And deservedly so. After years of French hope and heartbreak, Ferrand-Prévot has finally brought the yellow jersey home.