"I don't think it's possible to combine several disciplines at the same time": Pauline Ferrand-Prevot is not considering returning to MTB

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot reviews her historic season in which she talks about her victory in the Tour de France Femmes, the Paris-Roubaix, her recent ankle surgery, and the debate about her weight after the Tour. The Visma–Lease a Bike cyclist reflects on a year that has solidified her as one of the most complete riders in the peloton, during which she has also had to deal with difficult moments.

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot reviews her season

Ferrand-Prévot has had an unforgettable year. After her Olympic gold in mountain biking in Paris 2024, she returned to the road to achieve a double feat: winning the Paris-Roubaix Femmes and the Tour de France Femmes, with memorable stages like La Madeleine and Châtel. Now, in an interview with the newspaper Marca, she wanted to highlight some moments from her season.

“It has been an incredible season for me, returning to the road and winning again. First, the Paris-Roubaix was something amazing, and then winning the Tour de France was, as I always say, a childhood dream. So yes, it has been a fantastic year, and I am very much looking forward to the next season to try to do even better.”

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And although she has never specified exactly what injury she suffers from, Ferrand-Prévot has again highlighted her problems with her ankle, which still have her sidelined:  “I had surgery a few weeks ago. I had a fall at the beginning of the season, and since then, the injury never fully healed, so I needed to go under the knife. Now I am fine, but recovery takes time. I haven’t done any sport since the operation, so I feel like a non-athlete at this moment. The process is a bit long, but I am taking it easy and also enjoying the end of the season.”

But the Frenchwoman is already looking ahead to 2026 and reaffirms the idea that it will be difficult to see her compete in mountain biking again:

“I would like to win more monuments, like Liège-Bastogne-Liège, for example. And, of course, I would love to win the Tour de France again” ... “For now, only on the road. I think it is no longer possible to combine multiple disciplines at the same time. I want to focus on the road and prepare in the best way possible to win more races.”

Regarding a possible retirement, and even her personal future, Pauline is candid:  “Not for now, because I really love what I do. I still want to keep competing for at least two more years. So, for now, I’m not thinking about having a baby or retiring; I just want to win as many races as I can and enjoy what I do.”

To conclude, the French champion also addressed the topic of her body weight during the Tour, one of the most delicate debates of the season: “It is an important debate, but I found it unfair that it arose right after my victory. Weight matters, yes, but it is just one more factor: you also have to train, recover, and do everything right. It is just one parameter, it is not everything. In any case, my weight has returned to normal now, so everything is fine.”

At 33 years old, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot has achieved what no other female cyclist has: world titles in road, cyclocross, mountain biking, and gravel, as well as an Olympic gold and the two major victories on the women's calendar. With her sights set on the Tour de France Femmes 2026, which will ascend Mont Ventoux, she faces a new stage of her career focused on the road, but with the same determination as always.