Tour de France Femmes champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is still sidelined following ankle surgery earlier this month, admitting that her recovery has been slower than expected and that she has yet to resume training.
Ferrand-Prévot, who ended her season early to address the injury, revealed in a social media update that she continues to experience pain, fatigue and general weakness several weeks after her operation. Originally told she would be off the bike for around three weeks, the 33-year-old French rider now expects her rehabilitation to take twice that time.
The injury stems from a crash at Strade Bianche in March, which left her struggling throughout what was otherwise a stellar season. Despite the setback, she went on to win both Paris-Roubaix Femmes and the Tour de France Femmes, as well as taking silver at the Road World Championships.
Photo Credit: A.S.O./Pauline BalletFollowing her Worlds campaign, Ferrand-Prévot was due to contest the UCI Gravel World Championships, but opted instead to undergo surgery on 3 October to repair the persistent damage. The operation was considered a success, but recovery has proven more complicated than initially hoped.
In a reflective post, she shared a light-hearted take on her current situation: “How to go from a high-level sports body to a sedentary one in the space of a few weeks.” Despite joking about the contrast, Ferrand-Prévot also acknowledged the lingering discomfort and the mental challenge of inactivity. “I still struggle with my ankle which is not fully recovered. I get very tired, and there are days I feel weak and sick. According to the surgeon, we still have to be patient for three weeks so that everything will be fine.”
Her Instagram photos showed a heavily scarred and swollen ankle, as well as glimpses of her enjoying some downtime with friends and family. While she admitted she’s making the most of her time off, the lingering pain has prevented any structured exercise, effectively ruling out any participation in this winter’s cyclocross season.
Photo Credit: ASOThe setback means Ferrand-Prévot’s return to the peloton will likely come later than planned in 2026. She has already stated her ambitions for the coming year, including defending her Tour de France Femmes title, improving her time trial ability, and targeting the spring Classics. Longer-term, she has highlighted the 2027 Road World Championships in France as a major goal.
For now, though, her focus is on recovery and gradually rebuilding strength ahead of next season. As she put it herself, the process will take patience: “Mentally I’m doing great, it’s super cool spending time with Dylan [van Baarle], his family, my friends and soon-to-be family. But recovery sure is gonna hurt.”
