'Personally, I’m also here to make progress as a stage racer' – Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Visma-Lease a Bike focussed on stage wins at La Vuelta Femenina

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, the reigning XCO World Champion, is set to make a surprising return to the road at La Vuelta Femenina, joining the Visma-Lease a Bike squad. The Frenchwoman has explicitly stated her ambition to target stage wins and progress as a stage racer, rather than solely supporting teammates like Marianne Vos or Sarah Van Dam. This move marks a significant departure from her recent off-road focus, raising eyebrows given her decorated mountain bike career.

This foray back into road racing, particularly with a Grand Tour focus, is intriguing. Ferrand-Prévot’s last significant road appearance was in 2020, and her career since has been dominated by mountain biking, culminating in multiple world titles. For Visma-Lease a Bike, her inclusion adds a powerful, albeit unpredictable, engine to their roster, potentially diversifying their strategy beyond sprint finishes with Vos. It’s a bold play, indicating PFP’s desire to test her versatility once more on a demanding stage race.

Whether this is a genuine pivot or merely a high-profile training block for Paris 2024 remains to be seen, but the peloton will certainly be watching to see if her off-road power translates to Spanish asphalt.