Ineos Grenadiers have announced that Pauline Ferrand-Prévot will be joining the team on a two-year deal with a view towards her home Olympics in Paris in 2024.
The 30-year-old, the first woman to sign for the British squad, will be part of the team's growing off-road collective racing cyclo-cross, gravel, and mountain bike.
Ferrand-Prévot's move from Absolute-Absalom-BMC had been widely rumoured, as had Ineos Grenadiers setting up a women's programme.
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"Signing with Ineos Grenadiers is a dream for me," Ferrand-Prévot said. "I'm super excited to be joining the off-road team and becoming part of a wider group of riders and the Ineos family of athletes. Ineos Grenadiers' professionalism is world-renowned and I have always admired the team's ethos and spirit.
"To have the 2024 Olympics in Paris is huge for me. I want to be the best rider I can be in front of a home crowd and that will be my main goal over the next two years. An Olympic gold medal is the only one missing from my palmarès so it's the one I want the most.
"It was a key reason to join this adventure with Ineos Grenadiers. I still have a lot of things to learn, and it is the best team to help me reach my goal."
Ferrand-Prévot is among the most decorated riders in the women's peloton, having won multiple world titles across several disciplines.
In 2014 she took the rainbow jersey on the road in Ponferrada, became cyclo-cross world champion the following year, and also has nine mountain bike rainbow jerseys in the marathon, cross-country, team relay, and short track events.
At the weekend she became the first-ever gravel world champion, beating Switzerland's Sina Frei in a two-up sprint in Cittadella.
"Signing a world-class rider like Pauline is a huge boost as we grow the number of multi-disciplinary athletes racing as Grenadiers," said Ineos Grenadiers deputy team principal Rod Ellingworth.
"Pauline is a unique talent. Her palmares speaks for itself, especially after just winning four world titles in the space of two months. But what sets her apart and makes her a great addition to the Grenadiers is her drive and grit. She loves the sport and is a natural-born racer and that comes through in the way she rides.
"Pauline is on her own journey to try and win gold at her home Olympics and this is an area where we thrive and have proven success. We are excited to support that ambition and help her achieve her goals over the coming years."
At Ineos Grenadiers, Ferrand-Prévot will join the reigning cyclo-cross world champion and current Olympic champion Tom Pidcock as part of the team's off-road squad, her signing a major addition as the team expands its racing scope.
