'I feel ready for it' - Favourite Pauline Ferrand-Prévot recovered from Tour de France victory and ready to fight for a career 16th rainbow jersey at Rwanda Worlds

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot has arrived in Kigali and has been previewing the city circuit, getting to know all of its intricacies, including the cobbled climb of the Côte de Kimihurura. It is her final preparation to win another rainbow jersey, to add to her collection of 15 world titles, this time in the elite women's road race on Saturday at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda.

Speaking to select media from the Kim Hotel, located just a few hundred metres from the racing circuit's final climb, the Frenchwoman said she is recovered from her stunning yellow-jersey victory at the Tour de France in early August, and is fully prepared to fight for the rainbow jersey, too, in Kigali.

"It has been two months, and so it's been quite a long time. I didn't feel really tired after the Tour. I was more happy, and just happy to share that victory with the French public, and to do some media things," Ferrand-Prévot said.

"For sure, the recovery is not as good as it was before the Tour de France because I've slept a little less and travelled quite a lot. But I feel good. I did three weeks of an altitude block, and I feel ready for it. I also like the World Championships and I want to give my best and to do my best for the team."

The French national team will line up with seven riders, including Juliette Labous, Évita Muzic, Léa Curinier, Cédrine Kerbaol, Marie Le Net and Maeva Squiban.

The only other team to match the numbers of the French are the Italians, supporting Elisa Longo Borghini. Ferrand-Prévot believes that having strength in numbers will mean the difference between winning and losing on such a challenging course.

"Yes, it will help, for sure, because when we see how the lap is, it's going to be super important to have a strong team. To control the race and to be good in positioning," Ferrand-Prévot said.

"It will be a long race so we will need to stay strong until the end, for sure it is super good to have the numbers and the super strong riders."

The elite women's peloton competes in 11 laps of a 15.1km city circuit, totalling 164.4km. They will tackle 3,350 metres of elevation gain, with its highest point at 1,493 metres.

There are also two climbs on the circuit: the Côte de Kigali Golf climb, 800 metres at 8.1% elevation gain halfway around the local circuit, and the decisive Côte de Kimihurura climb, 1.3km at 6.3% on the circuit close to the finish at the Kigali Convention Centre.

Ferrand-Prévot, who not only won the Tour de France this year but also Paris-Roubaix, and finished third at Strade Bianche, second at Tour of Flanders and fourth at Milan-San Remo (but was relegated to 12th). After previewing the course for several days, she believes it is technical and the elevation gain resembles that of the Tour of Flanders (but at altitude).

"I have the feeling that it is a Tour of Flanders kind of circuit. So, for sure, I trained in altitude and did some intervals and high intensity at altitude," she said. "I tried to prepare in the best way possible for this race. If it is working, it's good; if not, it's just a bonus. I have nothing to lose."

Some of the riders who competed in the individual time trial and the team time trial mixed relay have said the climbing, altitude and air quality have played a role in their performances. While Ferrand-Prévot has not raced yet in Kigali, she tried to simulate the efforts through high-intensity training on the circuit this week.

"To be honest, I didn't feel much. Also, I didn't race. It's not like you do a full-gas time trial or team time trial. I did some intensity, and the numbers were quite good. I also felt really good. I'm feeling good. At the moment, everything is going in a good direction."

This is Ferrand-Prévot's first full road racing season in seven years, after retiring from a sparkling off-road career and joining Visma-Lease a Bike on a three-year deal. She has been a key rider to watch in almost every event she has lined up at since her return.

She is one of the greatest cyclists of all time, having made history in the 2014-2015 season at the age of 23 when she became the first cyclist to hold world titles in the three disciplines simultaneously. She won the elite women's road race world title in 2014 in Ponferrada, the XCO cross-country world title in 2015 in Vallnord, and the cyclocross world title in 2015 in Tabor. Since then, she has amassed a total of 15 elite world titles across road, mountain bike, cyclocross and gravel.

Ferrand-Prévot said that winning a career second road race world title in Rwanda would be a massive bonus to cap off an incredibly successful season.

"It was a long time ago. It's just a bonus. If it's working it's great, if it's not, it won't change much. I don't feel any bad pressure. I just want to give my best, give it all here, and just stay calm and to see how the race is going - race my own race," she said.

While the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships were held in South Africa in 2013, where Ferrand-Prévot was second in the under-23 category, she said that hosting the first-ever Road Worlds in Africa is a significant moment for cycling.

"I raced quite a few times in mountain biking in Africa. It's true that it is quite big to do the road World Championships in Africa, while in mountain bike it was more normal, I think," she said.

"It's great to see another culture. It's also good that we have to adapt to their life. In Europe, life is totally different, and maybe some have complained about the vaccines and being careful with the water, but it is just life here.

"It's good to live the same for a few weeks and enjoy being in a different life and culture, and to adapt to their culture. I think it's good. World Championships means in the world, and so it is good that it can be everywhere in the world. We should feel lucky and happy to just discover such a nice place."

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