Pauline Ferrand-Prévot will compete in the Road World Championships in Rwanda next month. This means a change of plans for the Tour de France Women's winner and Olympic mountain bike champion.

"At the start of the season, I decided not to participate in the World Championships in Rwanda for a simple reason: although last year marked the beginning of my 'process' of returning to the road, I came away from the Olympics physically tired and mentally exhausted. I absolutely didn't want to relive that moment or ask an already tired body for extra effort," Ferrand-Prévot explained.

At the 2024 World Championships in Zurich , after an absence of six editions, his race ended with a retirement, the first in six participations in the Elite road race.

Initially, the Frenchwoman's main focus in 2025 after the Tour de France Femmes was the European Championships , scheduled for early October in France. However, that changed when she realized that this time the situation was different.

"I realize that the years pass, but not all are the same. The context is also very different (fewer races this year and much less pressure for the Tour de France than for the Olympics)," she said. "I feel ready to continue giving my best in an intelligent and thoughtful way. That's why, in consultation with my team and the French national team, we have decided that I will participate in the World Championships on the African continent."

This year's World Championships course promises to be well-suited to a climber like her, with the women's Elite race on September 27th featuring 11 laps of the Kigali circuit over a distance of 164.6 km and an elevation gain of 3,350 metres.

"Onwards to a new great experience," Ferrand-Prévot concluded jokingly: "And in any case, I can already win the title of World Champion of Program Changes."

Photo: Sprint Cycling agency