‘Last year’s victory doesn’t guarantee anything’ – Pauline Ferrand-Prévot set to defend Tour de France Femmes title with balanced Visma support squad

As Pauline Ferrand-Prévot heads to defend her title at the Tour de France Femmes, Visma-Lease a Bike have revealed the supporting squad for the French rider’s bid, with a mixture of experience and talented youth set to join her on the start line in Lausanne on August 1.

Riding alongside Ferrand-Prévot will be three-time stage winner and two-time green jersey winner Marianne Vos, Femke de Vries, Lieke Nooijen, Marion Bunel, Daniel Hengeveld, and Sarah Van Dam.

The French superstar dominated the yellow jersey race 12 months ago, conquering the Col de la Madeleine on stage 8 and the final stage to Châtel Les Portes du Soleil to win overall by a huge margin of 3:42 from Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ), who is this year’s pre-race favourite.

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“Starting the Tour as the defending champion is something very special and something I’m incredibly proud of. At the same time, last year’s victory doesn’t guarantee anything this time around. Everyone starts from scratch again,” said Ferrand-Prévot on Visma’s website.

“We trained incredibly hard, but we also shared a lot of great moments together. It’s inspiring to see how motivated everyone is. That gives me a great deal of confidence and energy heading into the Tour. I’m looking forward to chasing our goals together.”

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Despite putting together another top Classics campaign, finishing second at the Tour of Flanders and third at Paris-Roubaix, Ferrand-Prévot has barely raced this season, only competing at the Vuelta Femenina since May 1, where she was lacklustre and finished 35th overall.

There will be little worry for the 34-year-old, having a similar run-up to last year’s race before arriving in elite climbing form. Visma will be trusting the process and the French rider’s ability to peak for the big occasion.

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“I’ve done everything I could to arrive at the start in the best possible shape. Together with the team, we’ve prepared meticulously, and I’ve received tremendous support from everyone around me,” she said.

“Now it’s about trusting that preparation and being ready when the Tour gets underway in Lausanne.”

While winning stages with their two superstar leaders is a goal, as it was in 2025, yellow is priority number one for the Dutch squad, confirmed by team manager Rutger Tijssen.

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“Our team has been selected to ensure Pauline is supported on every type of terrain. That doesn’t mean there won’t be opportunities for the other riders as well. If you’re racing at the front, you’re always in contention for victory,” said Tijssen.

“We saw that last year in the opening stage, when Marianne won and Pauline finished third. Of course, we’re targeting stage victories again this year, but the general classification is, without question, our number one priority.”

After an opening stage starting and finishing in Lausanne on August 1, the Tour de France Femmes will run until August 9, concluding in Nice. Along the way, an individual time trial to Dijon and a brutal day of climbing to the iconic Giant of Provence, Mont Ventoux, will likely decide the race for yellow on stage 7, where Ferrand-Prévot will look to thrive on her favoured terrain once again.

Visma-Lease a Bike for the Tour de France FemmesPauline Ferrand-PrévotMarianne VosMarion BunelFemke de VriesDaniel HengeveldLieke NooijenSarah Van Dam

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