Defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot withdrew from the Tour de France Femmes before Stage 8 on Saturday, August 8, after feeling unwell, ending the French rider's attempt to complete a second consecutive victory. Her Visma-Lease a Bike team said it made the decision with its medical staff before the peloton left Sisteron for Nice.
The 34-year-old entered the 2026 race as the winner of the previous edition and the first Frenchwoman to claim the modern Tour de France Femmes title. Her prospects of retaining the yellow jersey had already disappeared after repeated difficulties on climbs during the opening seven stages, leaving her 14th overall and more than 14 minutes behind race leader Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney.
Ferrand-Prévot lost nearly 11 minutes to Niewiadoma-Phinney on Friday's 146.8-kilometre mountain stage from La Voulte-sur-Rhône to Mont Ventoux. Cyclingnews reported that the Polish rider attacked with 9.7 kilometres remaining, won by 1 minute 16 seconds over Demi Vollering and took the overall lead by 15 seconds. Ferrand-Prévot acknowledged afterward that her performance was below the level required.
Visma-Lease a Bike said Ferrand-Prévot did not feel well on Saturday morning and that consultation with medical personnel led to the decision not to start. The team did not identify a specific illness. Le Monde reported that she had told French television after Stage 7 that hard preparation had not produced the expected result, but that she intended to learn from the setback and return stronger next year.
Her absence removes the reigning champion from the final weekend and changes Visma's options for the remaining stages. The official Tour website listed Saturday's penultimate stage from Sisteron to Nice at 171.9 kilometres, with 1,420 metres of climbing, while Sunday's 99.2-kilometre mountainous circuit around Nice is scheduled to decide the race.
The withdrawal does not alter Niewiadoma-Phinney's narrow advantage over Vollering, but it closes Ferrand-Prévot's title defence before the finish. The Frenchwoman, also the Paris 2024 Olympic cross-country mountain-bike champion, will now focus on recovery as the peloton contests the decisive final stages on the Mediterranean coast.
Comments