![Pauline Ferrand-Prévot ressent de la "curiosité" et de "l'excitation" à l'approche du départ du Tour de France, samedi à Lausanne, et se dit "prête" à défendre son titre, remporté l'an passé dès sa première participation. [JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP]](/cdn-cgi/image/onerror=redirect,width=640,height=640,format=webp/https://storage.googleapis.com/uploads.mongoosehq.com/url/media/161136905/e4ab88d8397492a1f0c2e3f4a4815fc87a5880bc1924eaf5718f4fdf71597cc9)
![[Crédit : Matthieu Mirville / DPPI via AFP]](/cdn-cgi/image/onerror=redirect,width=640,height=640,format=webp/https://storage.googleapis.com/uploads.mongoosehq.com/url/media/161191217/0d4fbdf61e768176e1f7e2b3bbc75f1ad9a3b380457deea974e3178833d2648d)
Overview
- The nine‑stage Tour de France Femmes begins Saturday 1 August in Lausanne and finishes on 9 August in Nice with a route that includes a summit finish on Mont Ventoux and multiple late climbs that organisers say leave no easy recovery days.
- Visma–Lease a Bike announced a seven‑rider squad to protect Pauline Ferrand‑Prévot, with manager Rutger Tijssen assigning clear roles including Marianne Vos as road captain and Femke De Vries as final mountain helper.
- Ferrand‑Prévot says she completed a focused three‑month preparation block after the Vuelta and feels both physically and mentally ready to defend the yellow jersey.
- Demi Vollering is widely cited as Ferrand‑Prévot’s principal rival while other contenders such as Marlen Reusser and Elisa Longo Borghini could profit from the 21km individual time trial and the high mountains.
- Broadcasters France Télévisions and Eurosport (via HBO Max) will show the race with Eurosport expected to provide full live coverage, a lineup that reflects rising public interest in a longer, higher‑climb edition that could reshape stage‑race exposure for women’s cycling.