Pauline Ferrand-Prévot eager to defend Tour de France Femmes crown in 2026

“It’s a super nice route. It’s going to be beautiful, and I really like it. I’m already excited to work hard towards defending my title. Finishing in Nice is fantastic. It means a lot to me, since I live in the area. I know the roads extremely well, which is an advantage. Mont Ventoux is also a climb I’ve done many times. It’s actually quite easy for me to train there and to get to know the climb even better,” Ferrand-Prévot said via the team’s official channels after the route presentation of the 2026 route in Paris.

For the second time in the race’s history, after Rotterdam in 2024, the Tour de France Femmes will start outside France. But for Ferrand-Prévot, the real focus lies on how to approach the months ahead. After a breakthrough season that brought her the yellow jersey, she is already thinking about the preparation needed to match that level again.

“I know how much energy it takes to win this race,” she said. “This time I want to prepare even better, especially for the time trial and the mountain stages. The level keeps rising, and that’s what motivates me. You have to improve every year if you want to stay at the top.”

One key addition to the 2026 edition will be the individual time trial, something the world champion views as both a challenge and an opportunity.

“I’m ready to put in the work on the time trial. It’s a chance to ride a different bike and develop yet another discipline, which is something I really enjoy. I always like it when the Tour pushes us to show more sides of ourselves as riders.”

The decisive stage on Mont Ventoux already holds special meaning for Ferrand-Prévot. “It’s one of those climbs that tests everything, your legs, your focus, your patience. It’s long, it’s hot, and it feels endless. But that’s exactly why I love it,” she said. “It’s going to be a beautiful battle.”

Across nine stages, riders will face a record 19,000 metres of elevation, making it the toughest edition of the Tour de France Femmes to date.

Her team manager, Rutger Tijssen of Visma | Lease a Bike, believes the route gives his leader every opportunity to show her range. “It’s a complete Tour, and that’s the challenge,” he said. “There’s one ultimate test with the Mont Ventoux, which will make the big separation. It’s comparable to the Col de la Madeleine from this year, perhaps slightly tougher due to the temperature and the wind.”

With the roads of Nice waiting and the Ventoux on the horizon, Ferrand-Prévot’s motivation is already clear. “Winning the Tour once was a dream come true,” she said. “Now it’s about proving that I can do it again, and enjoying the journey that comes with it.”