Pauline Ferrand-Prévot struggled badly in the individual time trial of stage four of the Tour de France Femmes on Tuesday, losing more than two minutes to race leader Marlen Reusser over the 21-kilometre course between Gevrey-Chambertin and Dijon.
After just 9.7 kilometres, the French rider was already 1 minute 21 seconds behind Reusser, of Switzerland, and the gap only grew from there. Even the switchbacks at Marsannay, a 1.8-kilometre climb averaging 6.9 percent, failed to help her find rhythm.
Visma-Lease a Bike team manager Rutger Tijssen had said before the stage that the team prepared thoroughly for the time trial, spending many hours on the bike and studying the course. Yet Ferrand-Prévot rode much of the route in an unusually upright position on her Cervélo, far from the aerodynamic tuck used by Reusser and Dutch rider Demi Vollering.
Position explained by past surgery
Ferrand-Prévot told broadcaster RMC that her position had been shaped around two operations on her iliac artery, carried out in 2019 and 2020, meaning she could not ride too low on the bike. She said the team ran tests on the track and, because she is small, found it faster for her to sit a bit higher, even if it was not the most elegant look. She called it the quickest option for her, even if it was not the prettiest.
Ferrand-Prévot, from Reims, is the reigning Olympic mountain bike champion and one of the most decorated riders in the women's peloton, with world titles across road, cyclo-cross and mountain biking. Her ungainly position drew comparisons to Andy Schleck, the Luxembourgish rider whose own struggles in Tour de France time trials during his career became notorious.
The final toll was 2 minutes 13 seconds behind Reusser, now the race leader, and 1 minute 59 seconds behind Vollering, who sits second overall. It was her first time trial since the 2021 French championships, and her build isn't suited to producing the high, sustained power the discipline demands. Even Kasia Niewiadoma, not a time trial specialist, beat her by more than a minute.
Not giving up on the yellow jersey
Ferrand-Prévot said she could not be disappointed, insisting she had given her best and was proud to have fought, with no excuse beyond simply being less strong on the day.
Despite the deficit, the defending champion, now 14th overall, has not abandoned hopes of contesting the yellow jersey. She recalled recovering significant time on the Madeleine climb last year and noted that the Ventoux stage is also long, saying she would give her best to try to claw back the 2 minutes 15 seconds gap. She said she would need to speak with her team to build a plan, adding that she liked this scenario and considered it a good challenge.
