Pauline Ferrand-Prévot

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (born 10 February 1992) is a French multi-discipline bicycle racer, who rides for UCI Mountain Bike team in cross-country cycling. Ferrand-Prévot has also competed in road bicycle racing and cyclo-cross during her career, winning the world title in each discipline. During the 2015 season, aged just 23, she became the first person ever – in the history of cycling – to simultaneously hold the World road title, World cyclo-cross title and World cross-country mountain bike title.
Ferrand-Prévot is an elite world champion and national champion across the various disciplines in which she competes. She was the youngest competitor in the Women's road race at the 2012 Summer Olympics, in which she finished eighth.
Career
2009–2010: Triple Junior World Champion
In July 2009, Ferrand-Prévot took part in the European Road Championships as a first year junior, where she narrowly won the Junior European time trial title ahead of Ukrainian Hanna Solovey. Four days later she placed third in the road race. Later in the same month, she won the junior European cross country championships, taking her second European title in less than 10 days in two different disciplines. She then participated in the World Junior Championships, winning silver in the time trial behind Hanna Solovey. In late August Ferrand-Prévot won both National Road titles in the junior category. In September, she won her first world title at the World cross country championship, whilst in October, she won the junior Chrono des Nations.
Ferrand-Prévot began her 2010 season competing in cyclo-cross. For women, there is no junior category which meant that she had to compete with the elite athletes. She came eighth in the World Cyclo-cross championships, more than two minutes behind future teammate Marianne Vos. After the cyclo-cross season, she was victorious at the City of Pujols road race, one of the constituent rounds of the Coupe de France, and would go on to top the final ranking in the Coupe de France for juniors. Further, she won a stage of the Circuit de Borsele junior, finishing fourth overall. She competed in the junior mountain bike World Cup, winning the Offenburg round and finished second in the Houffalize round. In mid-July, at the European Championships, Ferrand-Prévot had to settle for silver in both the time trial and road race. Ferrand-Prévot then competed in the junior World road race Championships in Offida, Italy finishing second in the time trial. She retained her junior national road titles. In September she defended successfully the junior Mountain bike world championships in MTB at Mont-Sainte-Anne in Canada, becoming the second rider after Nicole Cooke to hold both World Championship titles in the same year on the road and in mountain biking.
2011–2013: The first professional years
Ferrand-Prévot began the 2011 season with a second place in the national cyclo-cross championships. In late January, she took eighth in the World Championship cyclo-cross. She was then selected to participate in the Trofeo Alfredo Binda-Comune di Cittiglio for the French national road team, the first round of the 2011 UCI Women's Road World Cup achieving ninth place. After a fourth place in Halle-Buizingen, she finished seventh in the women's La Flèche Wallonne atop the Mur de Huy. In May, she went on to participate in two rounds of the UCI Under-23 MTB World Cup taking victory in both rounds. Ferrand-Prévot stated in mid-May that she would continue to ride in both disciplines for at least two more seasons. After a victory in the Coupe de France she participated in the two North American rounds of the Under-23 MTB World Cup winning both rounds again.
In July one year ahead of the London Olympics, she finished fifth in the pre-Olympic race. She then abandoned the MTB European championship. In August, after taking second place in the Val di Sole round of the Under-23 MTB World cup, she was crowned the overall winner. In November Ferrand-Prévot won the bronze medal at the European Cyclo-cross championships. In late November, announced they had signed her for the 2012 and 2013 seasons.
In April 2012, Ferrand-Prévot achieved her first podium in the MTB World Cup, during the second round in Houffalize. She was then selected for the Olympic Mountain bike test event. In June, at Saint-Amand-les-Eaux, she won her first elite national time trial championship, completing the loop in 36 minutes and 55 seconds, beating Audrey Cordon-Ragot by 17 seconds. She also won the Under-23 title. In July, she finished fourth in the elite national Mountain Bike championships but won the Under-23 title.
2014: The career year
Early in the season, Ferrand-Prévot won her first elite national cyclo-cross title. In late March, she finished fifth at the Trofeo Alfredo Binda-Comune di Cittiglio. In April she won the La Flèche Wallonne Féminine ahead of Lizzie Armitstead and Elisa Longo Borghini. In July, Ferrand-Prévot came second in the Giro Rosa just 15 seconds behind teammate Marianne Vos becoming the second French woman to reach the podium of the Giro Rosa after the Catherine Marsal victory in 1990. She later took the overall victory at the Emakumeen Euskal Bira, her first stage race win, while collecting two stage wins.
In July, Ferrand-Prévot became the first French cyclist to accumulate four national titles in a single season (road race, time trial, cyclo-cross and mountain bike). She also recorded two wins in the elite Mountain Bike World Cup and finally finished tenth overall in the Mountain Bike World Cup. After taking victory at the Under-23 European Cross-Country Championships, she won her first world title in the mixed relay.
Late in the road season, Ferrand-Prévot took part in the Grand Prix de Plouay, last round of the Road World Cup, taking 3rd place. She later finished sixth overall in the competition. In September, 19 years after Jeannie Longo won the fabled rainbow jersey, she became World Road Race champion in Ponferrada, Spain. Later in the season, she finished second in the Vélo d'or Français behind Jean-Christophe Péraud and ahead of track World Champion François Pervis. Ferrand-Prévot was also selected "international cyclist of the year" by the American publication VeloNews.
2015: World champion in cyclo-cross and cross-country
Ferrand-Prévot started the season off with retaining her national cyclo-cross championship. A week of ahead of the cyclo-cross world championships, she finished on the podium in the final race of the cyclo-cross World Cup in Hoogerheide. In January, she won the Cyclo-cross world title, ahead of Sanne Cant and seven-time champion Marianne Vos. She finished runner-up at the Trofeo Alfredo Binda-Comune di Cittiglio behind Lizzie Armitstead. In June, Ferrand-Prévot announced she had been suffering from sciatica which had ruined the start of her season. She returned to competition in the French national road race championships retaining her road title but only finishing third in the time trial. At the Giro Rosa, she finished ninth in the prologue but lost nearly two minutes on the leaders after the second stage. Winner of Stage 5 at Aprica, she finished 6th overall.
In August, Ferrand-Prévot started her mountain bike season with the goal of achieving a third world title in three different disciplines. She finished third in the Mont-Sainte-Anne round of World Cup and won the Windham round by more than a minute. On the road, she suffered a fall in the last kilometer of La Course by Le Tour de France as she did in 2014, but then went on to come third again at the Grand Prix de Plouay.
In the World mountain biking championship, she retained her mixed relay title (with Jordan Sarrou, Anthony Phillip and Victor Koretzky) and then added the World cross-country title.
In late November 2015 Ferrand-Prévot acquired a tibial plateau fracture during training, forcing her to refrain from racing for at least six weeks and miss most of the 2015–2016 cyclocross season.
2016
Ferrand-Prévot endured a difficult 2016 season. She competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, however she only finished 26th in the road race and abandoned the cross-country mountain bike race due to struggling with the effects of the tibial fracture she had sustained during the winter. She subsequently ended her season after the Games. In September 2016, after five years with the Rabobank team it was announced that Ferrand-Prévot would join for the 2017 season.
2018
She was on the start list of the Cross Country European Championships in Glasgow and finished 2nd behind Jolanda Neff.
Personal life
Ferrand-Prévot comes from a cycling family; her uncle Ludovic Dubau was 1994 French champion in cross-country mountain biking and competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Career achievements
Major championships timeline
Cyclo-cross
2009–2010
Coupe de France
2nd Saint-Quentin
3rd Besançon
3rd National Championships
2010–2011
2nd National Championships
Coupe de France
2nd Saint-Jean-de-Monts
3rd Saverne
3rd Miramas
UCI World Cup
5th Pontchâteau
2011–2012
1st Overall Coupe la France
1st Rodez
2nd Lignières-en-Berry
3rd Besançon
2nd National Championships
Superprestige
2nd Hamme
3rd UEC European Championships
UCI World Cup
5th Heusden-Zolder
2012–2013
1st Overall Coupe de France
1st Pontchâteau
2nd Besançon
2nd National Championships
2013–2014
1st National Championships
Coupe de France
1st Flamanville
2nd Kalmthout
UCI World Cup
4th Rome
5th Namur
2014–2015
1st UCI World Championships
1st National Championships
Superprestige
2nd Diegem
2nd Overijse
2nd Hasselt
UCI World Cup
3rd Heusden-Zolder
3rd Hoogerheide
5th Namur
2017–2018
1st National Championships
1st Overijse
Superprestige
2nd Diegem
UCI World Cup
3rd Nommay
4th Heusden-Zolder
5th Namur
UCI World Cup results
Gravel
2022
1st UCI World Championships
Mountain bike
2009
1st Cross-country, UCI World Junior Championships
1st Cross-country, UEC European Junior Championships
3rd Cross-country, National Junior Championships
2010
1st Cross-country, UCI World Junior Championships
UCI Junior XCO World Cup
1st Offenburg
2nd Houffalize
2011
1st Overall UCI Under-23 XCO World Cup
1st Dalby Forest
1st Offenburg
1st Mont-Sainte-Anne
1st Windham
2nd Val di Sole
3rd Nové Město
3rd Cross-country, UCI World Under-23 Championships
2012
1st Cross-country, National Under-23 Championships
4th Cross-country, UEC European Under-23 Championships
UCI XCO World Cup
4th Houffalize
2013
1st Cross-country, National Under-23 Championships
1st Saint-Pompon
2nd Cross-country, UCI World Under-23 Championships
2nd Cross-country, National Championships
2014
1st Team relay, UCI World Championships
1st Cross-country, UEC European Under-23 Championships
1st Cross-country, National Championships
1st Cross-country, National Under-23 Championships
UCI XCO World Cup
1st Nové Město
1st Albstadt
3rd Méribel
1st Lons-le-Saunier
2015
UCI World Championships
1st Cross-country
1st Team relay
1st Cross-country, National Championships
UCI XCO World Cup
1st Windham
3rd Nové Město
3rd Mont-Sainte-Anne
1st Saint-Pompon
2016
1st Team relay, UCI World Championships
1st Cross-country, National Championships
2017
1st Roc d'Azur
UCI XCO World Cup
2nd Mont-Sainte-Anne
UCI World Championships
3rd Cross-country
3rd Team relay
2018
2nd Cross-country, UEC European Championships
UCI XCO World Cup
2nd Stellenbosch
3rd Nové Město
4th Val di Sole
4th La Bresse
UCI XCC World Cup
2nd Nové Město
2019
UCI World Championships
1st Cross-country
1st Marathon
1st Cross-country, National Championships
UCI XCO World Cup
1st Val di Sole
1st Snowshoe
3rd Lenzerheide
5th Les Gets
UCI XCC World Cup
1st Lenzerheide
2nd Les Gets
2nd Snowshoe
3rd Val di Sole
Internazionali d’Italia Series
2nd La Thuile
French Cup
3rd Jeumont
Swiss Bike Cup
3rd Leukerbad
2020
1st Cross-country, UCI World Championships
1st Cross-country, UEC European Championships
1st Overall UCI XCO World Cup
1st Nové Město II
3rd Nové Město I
UCI XCC World Cup
2nd Nové Město I
2nd Nové Město II
3rd Marathon, National Championships
2021
1st Cross-country, UEC European Championships
UCI XCC World Cup
1st Albstadt
1st Les Gets
2nd Cross-country, National Championships
UCI XCO World Cup
2nd Albstadt
4th Nové Město
4th Les Gets
5th Leogang
French Cup
2nd Lons-le-Saunier
Internazionali d’Italia Series
2nd Nalles
3rd Short track, UCI World Championships
Swiss Bike Cup
3rd Leukerbad
2022
UCI World Championships
1st Cross-country
1st Short track
1st Marathon
National Championships
1st Short track
2nd Cross-country
2nd Marathon
UCI XCO World Cup
1st Val di Sole
4th Lenzerheide
UCI XCC World Cup
1st Petropolis
1st Val di Sole
2nd Albstadt
Ökk Bike Revolution
1st Huttwil
1st Roc d'Azur
2nd Cross-country, UEC European Championships
French Cup
2nd Le Dévoluy
3rd Overall Cape Epic (with Robyn de Groot)
2023
UCI World Championships
1st Cross-country
1st Short track
UCI XCC World Cup
1st Leogang
3rd Lenzerheide
3rd Val di Sole
XCO French Cup
1st Guéret
UCI XCO World Cup
2nd Nové Město
3rd Vallnord
3rd Les Gets
4th Lenzerheide
Ökk Bike Revolution
2nd Chur
UCI World Cup results
Road
2009
UEC European Junior Championships
1st Time trial
3rd Road race
National Junior Championships
1st Road race
1st Time trial
UCI World Junior Championships
2nd Road race
2nd Time trial
2010
UCI World Junior Championships
1st Road race
2nd Time trial
National Junior Championships
1st Road race
1st Time trial
UEC European Junior Championships
2nd Road race
2nd Time trial
2011
4th Time trial, National Championships
4th Halle-Buizingen
5th Grand Prix Elsy Jacobs
5th Grand Prix Nicolas Frantz
7th La Flèche Wallonne
9th Trofeo Alfredo Binda
2012
1st Time trial, National Championships
1st Time trial, National Under-23 Championships
1st Sprints classification, Holland Ladies Tour
2nd Omloop van het Hageland
5th Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
7th Trofeo Alfredo Binda
7th 7-Dorpenomloop Aalburg
8th Overall Festival Luxembourgeois Elsy Jacobs
8th Road race, Olympic Games
10th Ronde van Drenthe
10th Holland Hills Classic
2013
1st Time trial, National Championships
1st Time trial, National Under-23 Championships
2nd Team time trial, UCI World Championships
3rd Dwars door de Westhoek
4th Grand Prix Leende
8th Overall La Route de France
1st Young rider classification
2014
1st Road race, UCI World Championships
National Championships
1st Road race
1st Time trial
National Under-23 Championships
1st Road race
1st Time trial
1st Overall Emakumeen Euskal Bira
1st Stages 1 & 3
1st La Flèche Wallonne
2nd Overall Giro Rosa
1st Young rider classification
3rd GP de Plouay
5th Overall Festival Luxembourgeois Elsy Jacobs
1st Mountains classification
1st Young rider classification
5th Trofeo Alfredo Binda
6th EPZ Omloop van Borsele
2015
National Championships
1st Road race
3rd Time trial
2nd Trofeo Alfredo Binda
3rd GP de Plouay
5th Overall Festival Luxembourgeois Elsy Jacobs
6th Road race, UCI World Championships
6th Overall Giro Rosa
1st Stage 5
7th Tour of Flanders
8th La Flèche Wallonne
2016
4th Pajot Hills Classic
8th Tour of Flanders
2017
2nd GP de Plouay
8th Amstel Gold Race
2018
6th Trofeo Alfredo Binda
7th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
9th Overall Setmana Ciclista Valenciana
9th Overall The Women's Tour
2021
5th Time trial, National Championships
Awards
Velo magazine – International Cyclist of the year: 2014
French Sportswoman of the Year: 2014, 2015, 2020
References
External links
1992 births
Living people
French female cyclists
Olympic cyclists for France
Cyclists at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Cyclists at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Sportspeople from Reims
UCI Road World Champions (women)
Cross-country mountain bikers
UCI Mountain Bike World Champions (women)
Université Savoie Mont Blanc alumni
UCI Cyclo-cross World Champions (women)
Cyclists at the 2020 Summer Olympics
Cyclists from Grand Est
UCI Gravel World Champions (women)
Cyclists at the 2023 European Games
European Games competitors for France