Pauline Ferrand-Prévot won the 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift with a stunning solo victory on the final stage to Châtel, securing the overall title in dominant fashion. Racing for Visma-Lease a Bike, she attacked with 6km to go on the Col du Corbier, distancing her rivals to win her second stage and seal the yellow jersey.
Her win was historic. Not only did she become the first Frenchwoman to win the modern edition of the Tour de France Femmes, but she also became the first rider since Bernard Hinault in 1981 to win both Paris-Roubaix and the Tour in the same season.
Photo Credit: A.S.O./Thomas MaheuxHow did Pauline Ferrand-Prévot win the yellow jersey?
Ferrand-Prévot had been quiet in the early stages of the race, but her form clicked at the perfect time. She attacked on the summit finish of stage 7 to the Col de la Madeleine, distancing all of her GC rivals and taking her first stage win of the race. That ride earned her the maillot jaune and a healthy lead going into the final mountain stage.
On stage 9, she controlled the race through the early attacks and dangerous descents. After surviving a frantic chase to regain contact early in the stage, she rode into the final climb in a reduced GC group. When Demi Vollering launched an attack on the Col du Corbier, Ferrand-Prévot countered immediately and went solo with 6km to go. Her gap grew steadily and she crossed the line alone in Châtel to win the stage and the overall title.
Photo Credit: A.S.O./Thomas MaheuxWho else finished on the podium?
Demi Vollering finished second overall after attacking on both the Madeleine and Corbier stages. She sprinted to second place on the final stage and moved up from third on GC after Sarah Gigante cracked on the Joux Plane descent and rode much of the final stage alone.
Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney completed the podium for Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto, delivering another consistent mountain performance to take third overall. It was her second podium finish in the race after winning overall in 2024 and finishing third in 2022.
Photo Credit: GettyWhat happened to Sarah Gigante?
Sarah Gigante had climbed brilliantly to finish second behind Ferrand-Prévot on stage 7 and started the final day in second overall. But on the long and technical descent from the Col de Joux Plane, she lost contact with the favourites and found herself isolated in the valley. With no teammates to help and the pace high up front, she lost over three minutes by the finish and dropped to sixth in the general classification.
Despite the disappointment, the AG Insurance-Soudal rider confirmed her potential as a future contender with her climbing displays earlier in the race.
Photo Credit: A.S.O./Pauline BalletWhy was this Tour de France Femmes historic?
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot’s win marked the first French overall victory since the race’s modern relaunch in 2022. It also made her the first rider since Bernard Hinault in 1981 to win both Paris-Roubaix and the Tour de France in the same year.
She is also the fourth different winner of the modern Tour de France Femmes, following Annemiek van Vleuten (2022), Demi Vollering (2023) and Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (2024).
With four French riders finishing in the final top ten and three French stage wins in the final three days, the 2025 edition marked a turning point for women’s cycling in France.
