Defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot has officially withdrawn from the Tour de France Femmes ahead of the race’s eighth and penultimate stage, citing illness according to sports.yahoo.com. The 34-year-old French rider did not start the stage—a flat 172-kilometer route stretching from Sisteron to Nice—and was absent from her team presentation.
Defending Champion Withdraws Ahead of Stage 8
Her team, Visma-Lease a Bike, released a statement on social media confirming the withdrawal. Unfortunately, Pauline was not feeling well this morning. In consultation with the medical staff, it has been decided that she will not start today,
the team announced, adding, We wish Pauline a speedy recovery!
At the time of her departure, Ferrand-Prévot sat 14th in the general classification, 14:37 behind the yellow jersey. Her exit follows a punishing day on Mont Ventoux during stage 7, where she lost 10:44 to stage winner Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney and was dropped early on the climb.
An Underwhelming Title Defense and Mounting Time Deficits
Ferrand-Prévot entered the race as the defending champion after securing victory on her debut in 2025 following a transition back to road racing from the XCO mountain bike circuit. However, her 2026 campaign struggled to find momentum from the opening stages.
Her difficulties began in earnest during the stage 4 individual time trial, where she lost over two minutes to stage winner Marlen Reusser. Reflecting on that day, Ferrand-Prévot told the media, I did my best and I pushed as hard as I could. Now there’s nothing I can do. It was quite a lot of stress. Even though I finished far off, I still prepared a lot. I’m glad this day is over.
Losses accumulated further on stage 5 between Mâcon and Belleville-en-Beaujolais, a lumpy route featuring eight classified climbs where she finished 2:35 behind Demi Vollering. Speaking after stage 5, Ferrand-Prévot conceded that her general classification bid was heavily compromised, noting, There’s no hiding from it – it’s too much to get back by the look of it.
Broader Impact on Team Visma-Lease a Bike
The withdrawal leaves the Visma-Lease a Bike squad without its primary leader as the race enters its final stretch toward the finish on the Promenade des Anglais in nytimes.com. Despite the setback with their defending champion, team management maintained a forward-looking perspective for the remaining stages.
Team representative Thijssen noted that while data from Ferrand-Prévot’s performance had not been deeply dissected because her form was the result of months of training, other riders on the roster continued to show promising form. Marion Bunel delivered a strong climb on Mont Ventoux to finish 11th on the stage, while Femke de Vries and Lieke Nooijen also put in notable performances during the week.
Summary of Key Race Milestones
| Stage / Date | Key Event | Winner / Details |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 4 | Individual Time Trial | Won by Marlen Reusser; Ferrand-Prévot loses over two minutes. |
| Stage 5 | Hilly stage from Mâcon to Belleville-en-Beaujolais | Won by Demi Vollering; Ferrand-Prévot loses an additional 2:35. |
| Stage 7 | Queen stage on Mont Ventoux | Won by Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney; Ferrand-Prévot drops out of contention, finishing 18th. |
| Stage 8 | Withdrawal ahead of start in Sisteron | Ferrvând-Prévot pulls out due to illness in consultation with medical staff. |