Tears were already rolling down Pauline Ferrand-Prévot’s cheeks as she entered the last kilometre of stage 9 of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. No doubt remained - the French leader of Team Visma | Lease a Bike was alone at the front, clad in the maillot jaune, and she could already let the intense emotions of a historic triumph sink in as she reached the finish line in Châtel, nine days after starting from Vannes.
Ferrand-Prévot crossed the line some 20 seconds ahead of the last two winners of the Tour, Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez, winner in 2023) and Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto, 2024), and crumbled on the ground.
“This morning, I told my DS, 'I want to try to win in yellow’,” she eventually said. Her triumph is absolute: at her very first participation in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the French athlete brings home yet another iconic jersey, enriching, at 33 years of age, an already extraordinary collection of prizes. Vollering (+3’42’’) and Niewiadoma-Phinney (+4’09’’) complete the overall top three.
A week after the men’s Tour crowned Tadej Pogačar for the fourth time, on the 40th anniversary of the last victory for a home rider (Bernard Hinault, in 1985), France could celebrate its return to the top with an absolute icon that has been guiding and illuminating women’s cycling for more than a decade, echoing the conquests of Jeannie Longo, a three-time winner of the former Tour de France Féminin (in 1987, ‘88, ‘89).
A lifelong quest and a childhood dream
Touted as a unique talent from the youngest age, Ferrand-Prévot became UCI World Champion in the road race in 2014. Her first Elite rainbow jersey would be followed by more titles at the UCI World Championships for cyclo-cross, for mountain bike (in cross-country Olympic, cross-country short track, team relay and cross-country marathon) and for gravel (she won the first UCI Gravel World Championships in 2022). She currently has a grand total of 15 Elite UCI World Champion titles. An impressive list of achievements capped off by her mountain bike gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, in front of euphoric crowds.
With the Olympic title, she had completed a lifelong quest. It was time for her to turn to a childhood dream, one that seemed impossible until the organisers of the Tour de France brought back a female version of the event in 2022.
The fans were out in number again to watch her return on the road this year. As she joined Team Visma | Lease a Bike ahead of the 2025 season, she gave herself “three years to win the Tour”. Her Classics campaign immediately propelled her higher in the legend of her sport, with a victory at Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift. The French summer saw her reach even more stunning heights.
Taking over from Le Court
From day 1 of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, Ferrand-Prévot was at the very front. On the final ascent of the Côte de Cadoudal, leading to the finish line in Plumelec, the French star danced on her pedals and a gap opened behind her. It took a monstrous effort from Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal Team) to close it in the final metres. Marianne Vos (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) eventually snatched victory, with Ferrand-Prévot in 3rd place. The duo could only be delighted with their success and how it boded for the rest of the race.
Spain’s Mavi García (Liv-AlUla-Jayco) stunned the peloton in Quimper (stage 2). Dutch arrow Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx-Protime) sprinted to victory in Angers (3) and Poitiers (4). Mauritius’ Le Court took her turn in Guéret (5) and wore the yellow jersey for four days, while France’s Maëva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ) rose to the summits with two victories in Ambert (6) and Chambéry (7). But this Tour belonged to Ferrand-Prévot.
As the race hit the Alps, heading for a brutal finish at Col de la Madeleine, the French star flew away from the rest, distancing Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance-Soudal Team) by 1’45’’, Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek) by 2’15’’, and the others, starting with Vollering, by more than 3 minutes. The yellow jersey was hers, despite an early scare when she was caught behind on the last day. Ferrand-Prévot returned to the front and put the hammer down with 6.5km to go to seal her triumph. “I gave it my all for the last metres of this Tour de France.”