The winner of the Tour de France Femmes Pauline Ferrand-Prevot from France of team Visma - Lease a Bike celebrates as she crosses the finish line to win the 9th stage of the 4th edition of the Women’s Tour de France cycling race, 124,1 km from Praz-Sur-Arly to Chatel Les Portes du Soleil, in Chatel, France, Sunday Aug. 3, 2025. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)
French rider Pauline Ferrand-Pr茅v么t wins women’s Tour de France at her first attempt
CHATEL, France (AP) 鈥 French rider Pauline Ferrand-Pr茅v么t won the women’s Tour de France at her first attempt on Sunday, launching an attack to clinch the final stage and increase her overnight lead.
The winner of the Tour de France Femmes Pauline Ferrand-Prevot from France of team Visma - Lease a Bike celebrates as she crosses the finish line to win the 9th stage of the 4th edition of the Women’s Tour de France cycling race, 124,1 km from Praz-Sur-Arly to Chatel Les Portes du Soleil, in Chatel, France, Sunday Aug. 3, 2025. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)
CHATEL, France (AP) 鈥 French rider Pauline Ferrand-Pr茅v么t won the women’s Tour de France at her first attempt on Sunday, launching an attack to clinch the final stage and increase her overnight lead.
It gave Ferrand-Pr茅v么t a resounding victory. She finished 3 minutes, 42 seconds ahead of 2023 champion Demi Vollering of the Netherlands and 4:09 clear of defending champion Kasia Niewiadoma of Poland.
“After my , I said I would try to win the Tour de France in the next three years,鈥 said the 33-year-old Ferrand-Pr茅v么t, an Olympic champion in mountain biking at last year’s Paris Games. 鈥淪o here I am, the first (time).鈥
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
There was little of the drama of last year’s final day, which produced a four-second winning margin for the in the history of the women鈥檚 and men鈥檚 races.
鈥淢y teammates worked super hard for me all week long. I just want to say thank you and congrats to them,鈥 said Ferrand-Pr茅v么t, who rides for the Visma鈥揕ease a Bike team. 鈥淚 love you so much girls, and thank you for everything.鈥
Ferrand-Pr茅v么t had put herself largely in control by winning Saturday’s eighth and penultimate stage with on the last climb. That gave her an overnight lead of 2:37 seconds over Australian rider Sarah Gigante and 3:18 over Vollering.
Sunday’s ninth stage from Praz-sur-Arly to Ch芒tel was a 124-kilometer (77-mile) trek featuring three big mountain climbs.
But Ferrand-Pr茅v么t did not face any big attacks and instead launched one of her own with 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) left.
The crowds cheered her all the way to the finish line and, moments later, the tears flowed as she lay on her back, exhausted but elated.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
Vollering was 20 seconds behind in second place and Niewiadoma followed in third place as they sprinted to the line.
Earlier, Ferrand-Pr茅v么t was with Gigante and a few others when they tackled the mammoth climb up Col de Joux Plane 鈥 an 11.6-kilometer grind with a gradient of 8.5%.
Gigante is known to have trouble descending at speed and was dropped on the long downhill. She could not make the time up, especially with no teammates to help her, and lost her podium spot, finishing sixth overall.
Having won Olympic gold and conquered the cobblestones of the , Ferrand-Pr茅v么t added another line to her glittering resum茅 with a Tour victory, 11 years after winning the world road race title.
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation