Defending Champion Withdraws
Defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot has withdrawn from the Tour de France Femmes due to illness. The Team Visma-Lease a Bike rider did not start the penultimate stage, which was scheduled to run from Sisteron to Nice. Her team confirmed her absence, stating she was not feeling well on Saturday morning.
The decision for the 34-year-old to abandon the race was made in consultation with the medical staff. The team expressed wishes for her speedy recovery. Ferrand-Prevot’s withdrawal marks an early end to her title defense in the competition.
A Challenging Tour for Ferrand-Prevot
Ferrand-Prevot’s performance in this year’s Tour had been challenging, with her title defense described as never truly gaining momentum. She had fallen behind her rivals in key general classification stages. On Friday’s stage, she finished more than ten minutes behind the winner, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney.
Her position in the overall standings placed her 14:37 behind the yellow-jersey wearer at the time of her withdrawal. Earlier in the race, after deficits in the individual time-trial, she was five minutes behind in the general classification, leading her to declare her title defense “over.”
Despite her struggles, Ferrand-Prevot had maintained that her personal level was “quite good,” suggesting that other competitors were simply performing better. She noted that she had recorded a personal best 10-minute power earlier in the week, indicating her physical condition was strong.
However, the Frenchwoman finished 19th on the first decisive day for the general classification, 2:35 behind winner Demi Vollering. Her team manager, Rutger Thijssen, acknowledged that while they aimed to keep morale high, the results on the road showed that “others are better, faster, stronger.”
Team Visma-Lease a Bike’s Performance
The Tour had also been underwhelming for Team Visma-Lease a Bike as a whole, beyond Ferrand-Prevot’s individual performance. While Ferrand-Prevot’s individual time-trial was not a specialty, the hope for her to impact the race on home roads was not realized. By stage 5, a five-minute deficit was considered nearly insurmountable given the form of her rivals.
On Mont Ventoux, Ferrand-Prevot was among the first major riders to be dropped early in the climb, finishing 18th on the stage, nearly 11 minutes down on Niewiadoma-Phinney. This performance solidified the judgment that she would not make a significant impact on the race.
The team’s presence in general classification battles or breakaways had not been strong, with some suggesting this might be due to their focus on their leader. Despite this, other team members showed promise, with Marianne Vos finishing third in a stage 2 sprint, and Marion Bunel performing well on Mont Ventoux, finishing 11th. Femke de Vries also appeared strong, and Lieke Nooijen was competitive in the time trial.
Thijssen stated that the team still aimed for the highest possible result in the remaining days of racing, emphasizing that the team was “good” and “fresh,” with “no need to panic.” Ferrand-Prevot’s racing schedule for the remainder of 2026 is currently unknown, though the MTB World Championships and Montréal Road Worlds are potential options.
Source: nytimes.com
Mason Reed
Sports reporter covering football, basketball and international competitions.