Reims, France – Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, the reigning Tour de France Femmes champion, begins her 2026 campaign this Saturday at the Strade Bianche Donne in Italy and she’s made one thing clear: she’s aiming for victory. The 34-year-vintage French cyclist feels stronger than she did at the same point last year, signaling a potentially dominant season across multiple disciplines.
The Strade Bianche represents a key early objective for Ferrand-Prévot, one of the few major races still missing from her impressive palmarès. This season is shaping up to be a demanding one, with the Tour de France as the ultimate goal, but similarly including planned appearances at the Tour of Flanders, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and the Vuelta. Her ambition is clear: to build a campaign around peak performance at multiple key events.
A Shift in Mindset
Ferrand-Prévot’s confidence stems from a feeling of complete immersion in road cycling. “Compared to last year at the same time, I feel better. I believe I can aim for the win,” she stated to TV5, as reported by Cycling Magazine. “Last year, I still felt like a mountain biker. This year, I’m coming in as a road cyclist; in my mind it’s different.” This mental shift is significant, especially considering her success in both mountain biking and road cycling in recent years – including victories at the Tour de France and Paris-Roubaix in 2025.
The Visma-Lease a Bike rider finished third at the 2025 edition of Strade Bianche, a result she’s determined to improve upon. She acknowledges the strength of her team, which she believes will be even more formidable this year, allowing her to conserve energy in the early stages of the race before the decisive final 40 kilometers.
A Multi-Discipline Force
Ferrand-Prévot’s versatility is a defining characteristic of her career. She’s a decorated athlete across multiple cycling disciplines, including road, mountain biking, cyclo-cross, and gravel. Her Olympic gold medal in mountain biking at the 2024 Paris Games underscores her ability to excel at the highest level in different formats. She also secured Gravel World Championships in 2022.
The 2026 season isn’t solely focused on the road, however. Ferrand-Prévot plans to peak her form twice before the summer: first for Strade Bianche, and again in April during the Belgian Classics, including Ronde van Vlaanderen and Flèche Wallonne. Notably, she will skip Paris-Roubaix this year, despite winning the race in her return to road cycling in 2025.
Team Support and Mental Fortitude
A key component of Ferrand-Prévot’s strategy is the strength of her Visma-Lease a Bike team. She’ll be supported by experienced riders like Marianne Vos, who at 38, continues to be a force in women’s cycling. Vos expressed her admiration for Ferrand-Prévot’s physical and mental strength, stating, “She is very strong physically and mentally. We will do several races together so I hope One can help each other.”
Former teammate Audrey Cordon-Ragot, now a consultant for Eurosport, emphasizes Ferrand-Prévot’s resilience. “What I admire about her is her resilience. She has the ability to question herself when she faces a setback, and to come back even stronger.” This mental toughness is seen as a crucial asset as Ferrand-Prévot navigates a demanding race schedule.
Preparing for the Tour de France
While Strade Bianche and the Classics are important objectives, Ferrand-Prévot’s primary focus remains the Tour de France Femmes. She recently completed a three-week training camp at altitude with her Visma-Lease a Bike team, preparing for the challenges ahead. A key element of her preparation will be the individual time trial, a 21-kilometer stage between Gevrey-Chambertin and Dijon.
Cordon-Ragot believes Ferrand-Prévot is already focused on this challenge, noting that she was seen training on her time trial bike during the winter. “I think she is already focused on finding marginal gains. I am sure she will get back on track in this exercise,” Cordon-Ragot said.
Ferrand-Prévot extended her contract with Visma-Lease a Bike through 2028, demonstrating her long-term commitment to the team and her continued ambition to compete at the highest level. As Cordon-Ragot put it, “She has the teeth that scratch the parquet,” a testament to her unwavering determination and competitive spirit.
The 2026 season promises to be an exciting one for Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. With a clear focus, a strong team, and an unwavering mental fortitude, she is poised to challenge for victories across multiple disciplines and cement her legacy as one of the greatest cyclists of her generation.
Following Strade Bianche, Ferrand-Prévot will turn her attention to the spring Classics, building towards her defense of the Tour de France Femmes title later in the year. Fans can follow her progress and the full 2026 season schedule on the official Tour de France Femmes website and through Visma-Lease a Bike team updates.
