La Madeleine, August 3, 2025 – The Europe Today: French cycling star Pauline Ferrand-Prévot delivered a breathtaking solo performance on Saturday to seize victory in the penultimate stage of the Women’s Tour de France, catapulting herself into the overall lead with just one decisive mountain stage remaining.
Riding for Team Visma, the reigning Olympic mountain bike champion launched a bold attack 10km from the finish, ascending through roaring home crowds on the slopes of La Madeleine, and never looked back.
Her commanding win has placed her 2 minutes and 37 seconds ahead of Australia’s Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance–Soudal) in the general classification—offering a comfortable margin heading into Sunday’s final climb, where Ferrand-Prévot is now the clear favorite to secure overall victory.
“I just tried to go as fast as possible,” said Ferrand-Prévot, 33, after crossing the finish line. “If I came back to road cycling, it was in an effort to win this race—so I made the right choice. It’s not over yet, but I’m very happy with what we did today.”
Ferrand-Prévot’s resurgence on the road circuit has been remarkable. After dominating mountain biking—including gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics and a victory at the Paris-Roubaix Femmes earlier this year—she returned to road racing with one goal in mind: winning the Women’s Tour de France.
Sarah Gigante finished second on the stage, 1 minute and 45 seconds behind, while Niamh Fisher-Black of Team LTK secured third place at 2 minutes and 15 seconds.
“I was dreaming of winning this race,” Gigante admitted. “But Pauline was magnificent.”
Overnight leader Kim Le Court-Pienaar (AG) sacrificed her own chances to support teammate Gigante, a gesture of strategic sportsmanship that may shape the final standings.
If Ferrand-Prévot holds her lead through Sunday’s concluding stage, she will make history as the first French rider to win the modern Women’s Tour de France, now in its fourth edition—offering a long-awaited national triumph as no Frenchman has claimed the men’s Tour since Bernard Hinault’s fifth title in 1985.
