Pauline Ferrand-Prevot storms into yellow as history beckons at Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, Demi Vollering and Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney struggle
Updated 02/08/2025 at 20:19 GMT+1
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot delivered a jaw-dropping ride on the queen stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift to grab the yellow jersey - and set up the strong possibility of a historic French victory. Racing on the road for the first time in years, she dropped the big favourites on the brutal Col de la Madeleine and looks poised to win the Tour in her comeback season with just one stage to go.
Stage 8 highlights: Ferrand-Prevot crushes queen stage to stand on brink of history
Video credit: TNT Sports
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot stormed into the yellow jersey with a breathtaking victory on the queen stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift as a first French winner beckons.
Despite only returning to the road this season after dominating the mountain bike scene, the Visma-Lease a Bike star is now just one stage away from completing a dream comeback.
She latched onto a move from Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance-Soudal) on the Col de la Madeleine as favourites Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) and defending champion Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) cracked behind.
Visma's Marion Bunel, in the day’s breakaway, dropped back to help pace the duo before Ferrand-Prevot surged clear - first sweeping up the remnants of the break, then riding away alone to a stunning win. She gained a 2'37" GC lead on Gigante, who moved herself up into second place with a gritty solo ride, to enter the final day with 124.1km standing between her and the historic feat.
Already a winner at Paris-Roubaix in April, Ferrand-Prevot had set a bold target of winning the Tour within three years. It looks like she will only need one.
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Gigante overcome with emotion after yellow jersey 'sacrifice' from team-mate Le Court
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A 15-time world champion across road, cyclo-cross, gravel, and mountain biking - and the first to hold simultaneously hold world titles in three disciplines - Ferrand-Prevot’s move back to road racing was underlined by her maillot jaune goal.
After not racing for over 10 weeks in the lead up to her debut at the Tour, Ferrand-Prevot entered the race as somewhat of an unknown quantity, but the work she had put in at altitude in her absence from racing clearly paid off.
In a sight rarely seen from any yellow jersey wearer, Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) put in a phenomenal effort to launch team-mate Gigante to power to a hard-fought second place.
The revamped women’s version of the women's Tour de France is yet to see a French overall general classification winner and with no native yellow jersey winner on the men’s side since Bernard Hinault in 1985, Ferrand-Prevot’s conquest of the Col de la Madeleine looks to be a significant chapter of history in the making ahead of the final stage.
Stage 8’s revered final climb had been featured in the men’s race 27 times prior to its debut for the women, but the efforts of the riders on Stage 8 proved they were more than deserving of racing on such a mountain, as fireworks erupted throughout.
Ferrand-Prevot’s stage win completed a hat-trick of French victories in as many days, following Maeva Squiban’s (UAE ADQ) back-to-back standout solo wins on Stages 6 and 7.
The Paris 2024 Olympic gold medallist on the mountain bike almost took her first victory on Stage 1, but was beaten to the line as team-mate Marianne Vos fought to prevent Le Court from taking yellow on the opener.
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Leader Le Court crashes on descent on queen stage
Video credit: TNT Sports
Attacks occurred almost immediately after the start flag was dropped, with Riejanne Markus (Lidl - Trek) setting the tone for the day with her intensity, which led to a breakaway group of 14 riders being formed before the first summit.
Squiban’s tenacity was shown once again as she fought to successfully bridge the gap and put herself in contention to challenge for Queen of the Mountains points.
Just before halfway into the stage, Le Court went down on a hairpin bend on a technical descent and, slightly controversially, the yellow jersey was not waited for by the group she had been in.
The Mauritanian battled hard to make it back to the front of the race before turning domestique as she helped Gigante, a shaky descender, to stay in touch.
Le Court put in a monumental, selfless effort on the Col de la Madeleine for the Australian rider who won two stages at the recent Giro d'Italia Women, in doing so sacrificing the yellow jersey.
Markus’ efforts continued on the final climb, now riding for Lidl-Trek team-mate Niamh Fisher-Black, who broke off with a group of three riders in the final 14km.
Shortly after, Gigante made her move from the group behind, but had Ferrand-Prevot, Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix-Deceuninck) and team-mate Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal) for company.
Gigante and Ferrand-Prevot stayed together for a few kilometres on the incline, but the French rider soon moved ahead.
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'Like nothing I’ve ever seen before' – Reaction to Ferrand-Prevot's solo destruction of queen stage
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Ferrand-Prevot made her way up to Fisher-Black and Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck), the latter subsequently dropped before the serene seated attack at the 5km to go mark that saw the Visma-Lease a Bike rider go up the road solo.
With previous winners Niewiadoma-Phinney and Vollering over two minutes back and Le Court well behind them, Ferrand-Prevot rode herself to the stage win and into the yellow jersey.
Displaying great fortitude, she rode to the finish line on the hors categorie climb, and moved herself one day away from achieving her dream.
Fisher-Black took third place on Stage 8, followed by Vollering and Kastelijn +3'03" behind the day’s champion.
The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will feature a ninth stage for the first time this year, with the finale including the HC Col de Joux Plane as well as Cat. 1 Cote d'Araches-la-Frasse and Col du Corbier before the uphill drag to the finish line in Chatel, where a place in history once again awaits Ferrand-Prevot.
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Stream the final stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift from 14:00 BST on Sunday, live on TNT Sports and discovery+
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