Olympic mountain bike champion, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, is set to rejoin the road cycling circuit with Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women in 2025. The 32-year-old French rider, who has inked a three-season deal, transitions back to road racing after a highly successful stint in mountain biking.
Ferrand-Prévot’s early career on the road was marked by a world championship title at just 22 in 2014, along with several notable finishes in the classics. However, in 2019, she shifted her focus entirely to mountain biking, where she amassed five world titles and an Olympic gold medal. Reflecting on her decision, she shared, “Last winter, I was thinking about my future after the Olympics. I had been chasing an Olympic medal in mountain biking for 12 years. I have now achieved that goal. I think it’s time for a new challenge in cycling. Choosing Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women was an easy decision. The way the team works and its professional approach really appeal to me.”
Ferrand-Prévot is highly motivated by her new endeavour, stating, “Women’s cycling has come a long way since I left the sport. I can’t wait to get back into the peloton. With the support of the team, I am sure I can do great things again, so I am very motivated. I want to win The Tour de France Femmes.”
Team manager Rutger Tijssen expressed his excitement about Ferrand-Prévot’s arrival, recognising her exceptional talent and accomplishments in mountain biking. “Pauline is an exceptionally talented athlete who decided to devote herself entirely to mountain biking a few years ago. With her Olympic gold medal, she has now completed mountain biking. I admire that she has taken the bold decision to return to the road with a clear objective: to win the Tour de France Femmes.”
Tijssen further elaborated on her role within the team, noting the challenges and their support for her transition back to road racing. “It will be a challenging project, but we as a team believe she can do it. We will support her in achieving her goal. Although the transition to road racing will take some time. Mountain biking is an explosive one-and-a-half-hour sport. A road race is more about endurance over a longer period. We will give her time to become a road cyclist again. She will be our team leader in the grand tours, but she will also be able to compete in the Walloon classics.”
