A Historic Victory for France

Pauline Ferrand-Prevot made history by becoming the first French winner of the Tour de France Femmes in 36 years. Her triumph on stage nine in Chatel was a moment of sheer emotion and exhaustion as she lay on the floor after crossing the finish line, realizing the magnitude of her achievement.

The Road to Victory

Ferrand-Prevot, an Olympic mountain bike champion, returned to road racing after seven seasons with the goal of winning the yellow jersey. Her strategic move on the queen stage atop the Col de la Madeleine on Saturday propelled her to the top of the general classification. On Sunday, she burst clear with six kilometers to go, securing a stylish victory.

The Final Stage

The final 124.1km route from Praz-sur-Arly, featuring more than 2,800m of ascent, was a test of endurance and strategy. Ferrand-Prevot bided her time before launching her decisive move, finishing 20 seconds ahead of 2023 champion Demi Vollering. She ended the race with a cushion of 3 minutes and 42 seconds over Vollering.

Team Effort and Gratitude

"I came back on the road after my Olympic title and I said I will try to win the Tour de France in the next three years," said Ferrand-Prevot. "So here I am - the first one. My team-mates worked super hard for me all week long. I just want to say thank you and congrats to them, to my entire team."

Other Notable Achievements

Lorena Wiebes won the green jersey for topping the points classification, Elise Chabbey claimed the polka dot jersey as the best climber, and Nienke Vinke took the white jersey for best young rider.

Stage Nine Results

1. Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Fra/Visma-Lease a Bike) 3hrs 38mins 23secs
2. Demi Vollering (Ned/FDJ-Suez) +20secs
3. Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney (Pol/Canyon-Sram-ZondaCrypto) +23secs

General Classification After Stage Nine

1. Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Fra/Visma-Lease a Bike) 29hrs 54mins 24secs
2. Demi Vollering (Ned/FDJ-Suez) +3mins 42secs
3. Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney (Pol/Canyon-Sram-ZondaCrypto) +4mins 9secs

This victory not only marks a significant milestone in Ferrand-Prevot's career but also rekindles the spirit of French cycling, inspiring a new generation of riders.