Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt out of European championships, ends 2025 season

Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt will not represent France in the UEC Road European Championships elite women's road race on Saturday. The Tour de France winner fell ill with a fever and stomach problems upon returning from the UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda, according to L'Equipe.

The team also lost Maëva Squiban, with the pair replaced by Dilyxine Miermont and Célia Le Mouel.

"It's a change that we're losing two good cards," French coach Paul Brousse said. "For Maëva, it was declared at the end of the week, already on Saturday [during Worlds], she wasn't at her level.

"And when we replay the film, Pauline was already as weakened on Saturday. That will reshuffle the plans, tomorrow (Thursday), the team will be complete, we will discuss all that again.

"Juliette Labous is in good shape, she managed the transition well [from Kigali], proof of which is her result in the time trial."

Labous came sixth in the elite women's individual time trial behind winner Marlen Reusser (Switzerland). Cédrine Kerbaol was ninth in the time trial. Brousse can also count on Evita Muzic in the road race on Saturday.

Ferrand-Prévôt could have been the top contender were it not for her illness, which has brought her season to an end. Brousse could not point to any single cause of her illness.

"It could be multifactorial. All health measures were implemented to ensure that things went as smoothly as possible. We had cooks, a nutritionist on site, and a top-notch organization. Other nations were affected, too."