'I'm glad this day is over' – Pauline Ferrand-Prévot loses over two minutes in GC battle at Tour de France Femmes
Defending champion says she now needs to 'catch' her rivals after time trial damage
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, a defending champion at the Tour de France Femmes, experienced a major setback in stage four's time trial, losing more than two minutes to end up in 34th place. The French rider, who had shifted her focus to mountain biking, finished 2:13 behind the winner, Marlen Reusser, and 1:55 behind Demi Vollering. The time trial proved challenging for Ferrand-Prévot, who hadn't raced one in over five years and had to prepare differently due to surgeries for iliac artery endofibrosis.
Despite the disappointment, she expressed gratitude for finishing and acknowledged the need to make up time in the following stages. Her sports director, Jos van Emden, remains optimistic, stating that this year is not lost and serves as a starting point. The team anticipates a classic race on the fifth stage, with a long climb to Mont Ventoux on the seventh day, which could provide a boost for Ferrand-Prévot to regain her general classification position.
Written by urgent.news from Cycling Weekly's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
