It took a long time to find a copy of L’Équipe on Monday morning. France’s flagship daily sports newspaper, emblazoned with an image of a yellow-clad Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, arms outstretched and triumphant, with the banner headline Geante, had almost sold out.
Ferrand-Prévot, the first French rider to win the Tour de France Femmes, has become a national icon almost overnight. After her Paris 2024 gold medal performance in mountain biking and the Paris‑Roubaix win this spring, Ferrand-Prévot fever has taken over. Cycling’s slumbering giant has finally awoken.
