'A little too much for me' - Pauline Ferrand-Prévot lacks sprint speed but moves up in GC on 'punchy' roads to Guéret at Tour de France Femmes

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot in the front group at the end of stage 5 at the Tour de France Femmes (Image credit: Getty Images)

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, one of the overall Tour de France Femmes favourites, has consistently finished among the top 10 on the hillier opening stages. While the battle for the GC ignited during the stage 5 final into Guéret, the Visma-Lease a Bike contender said the roads were a little "too punchy" for her style.

The Frenchwoman made it into the selection of seven riders that formed on the Maupuy climb, and finished in fifth on the day, moving up to second overall, now 18 seconds behind the day's winner and yellow jersey wearer Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal).

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Kirsten Frattini has been the Editor of Cyclingnews since December 2025, overseeing editorial operations and output across the brand and delivering quality, engaging content.

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Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.