When Pauline Ferrand-Prévot made her plans for this season, the Road World Championships in Rwanda next month weren't a part of them, but the Tour de France Femmes winner and Olympic mountain bike champion has had a change of heart.
"I had made the decision, early in the season, not to participate in the World Championships in Rwanda, for the simple and good reason that, even though last year marked the beginning of my "process" getting back on the road, I came out of the Olympic period tired physically and mentally worn out. I clearly didn’t want to relive this moment or ask for extra effort from an already tired body," said Ferrand-Prévot in an Instagram post, also referring to the mental effort propensity to go all in when she does something.
When Ferrand-Prévot lined up at the 2024 World Championships road race in Zurich, after an absence from the last six, the spent rider's race ended with a DNF, a first from her six outings at the elite Worlds road race.
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Originally, the key goal for the French rider in 2025 after the Tour de France Femmes was the European Championships, held in France at the start of October, and she restated the goal following her yellow jersey clinching effort at the Tour de France Femmes.
However, there was a shift when she realised the run-in had left her in a different state this time.
"I realise that the years go by, but don't look the same. The context is really different too (few races this year, and much less pressure for the Tour de France than for the Olympics)," said Ferrand-Prévot.
"So I feel prepared to continue to give my best smartly and thoughtfully. That's why, in consultation with my team and the French team, we decided that I will participate in the world championships on the African continent."
The World Championships this year present a course that is set to suit a rider who could thrive through the rigours of the mountains at the Tour de France Femmes, with the elite women's race on September 27 set to cover 11 laps of the Kigali circuit for a distance of 164.6km and an elevation gain of 3,350 metres.
The full French team is yet to be announced, but the nation has a list of strong climbers that, along with Ferrand-Prévot, includes Juliette Labous, Cédrine Kerbaol and Évita Muzic. Ferrand-Prévot, however, has just proven that she is as formidable as ever on the road after her quick ascent to the top step of her home Grand Tour, and she also has an enviable record of being able to deliver at big events.
Not only has the French rider captured the world road title before, in 2014, but has claimed 12 elite individual titles across a range of disciplines on top of the mountain bike gold medal at the Olympic Games. Whether or not Ferrand-Prévot can cross the line first in Rwanda, she is laying claim to another.
"Forward to a new great experience," said Ferrand-Prévot before adding jokingly. "And in any case, I can already be awarded the title of World Champion of Change of Plans."
