Pauline Ferrand-Prévot didn’t need to win Stage 7 of the Tour de France Femmes to feel like she’s inching towards a historic moment. The French champion ended the 160-kilometre stage to Chambéry still second overall, just 26 seconds behind Kim Le Court-Pienaar, and with her legs untouched by the sort of Alpine chaos that typically reshuffles the GC.
Behind stage winner Maëva Squiban, who celebrated a second consecutive solo win from the breakaway, the GC group largely marked each other. Le Court had briefly faltered on the Col du Granier, dropping out of the yellow jersey position, but returned on the descent to keep the status quo. Still, the balance is tilting. And Ferrand-Prévot knows it.
She said she felt good and didn’t waste much energy, and added that she was looking forward to tomorrow.
Photo Credit: A.S.O./Thomas MaheuxThe 33-year-old is no stranger to racing against gravity. The Olympic mountain bike champion has built her entire 2025 road campaign around the Col de la Madeleine, tomorrow’s summit finish. Saturday is not just the queen stage – it’s her personal high point, the one she’s prepared for more than any other.
“I know the Madeleine very well,” she said. “I went to do the recon there many times because I knew it was important to know. The race will be decided there.” She compared her approach to mountain biking, where knowing every corner and section is crucial. “You feel much more comfortable, you know where you are, and it’s also mentally easier.”
Even during Stage 7, Ferrand-Prévot was mentally focused on the challenge still to come. Le Court’s brief crisis on the Granier gave her a glimpse of the yellow jersey, and for a moment she led the race virtually. But she never wavered from the plan.
“I told myself, ‘My race is tomorrow.’ Today it wasn’t the goal to take the yellow jersey.”
Sport director Jos van Emden confirmed as much, saying the stage went as expected. He called it relatively easy and didn’t anticipate much change in the GC. The only real surprise, he said, was Le Court dropping, although she returned to the group of favourites a little later.
Photo Credit: A.S.O./Jennifer LindiniWhile the peloton reached Chambéry without major drama, Ferrand-Prévot has been the centre of growing attention across France. Her bus is mobbed daily, fans calling her name, waving signs, and clambering for autographs. After Stage 7, she handed her race numbers to a young girl who had watched her warm down on the turbo trainer.
That growing popularity has come with scrutiny, too. Her visible physical transformation from Roubaix winner in April to GC climber in July has prompted questions across French media. A now-viral photo showed her pinning in her jersey sleeves to make them fit, revealing her dramatic change in physique. Team staff downplayed any concerns, saying it was simply the wrong size, while also acknowledging the intense preparation behind her new body shape.
“Topsport is extreme on all sides,” said Rutger Tijssen, sport technical manager at Visma-Lease a Bike. “She’s leaner than she was in the spring, but this stage requires that. It’s a logical adaptation.”
Mieke Docx and Marijn de Vries were among those to voice surprise at the visual difference, but added that such a razor-sharp condition is sometimes a necessity in stage racing’s toughest days – provided it’s monitored properly and followed by recovery.
Photo Credit: A.S.O./Thomas MaheuxDespite her lighter build, some have noticed a drop in Ferrand-Prévot’s explosive power, especially in the flatter sprints. But few doubt her ability to climb, and the Madeleine – 18.6km of pain, with more than an hour of high-altitude effort – is precisely the kind of terrain she thrives on.
She said she expects a head-to-head race and plans to concentrate only on herself and her effort.
Victory on Stage 8 would not just deliver the yellow jersey, it would put Ferrand-Prévot on the brink of becoming the first French winner of a Tour since Bernard Hinault in 1985. There’s history in her legs now, and the nation knows it.
She said she’s not confident because no one can be at this stage, but that she still felt good and hadn’t used a lot of energy. “I think I’m still fresh for tomorrow, so let’s see.”
Saturday will tell us if the day of glory is finally here.
