Mountain bike, road race and cyclo-cross, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Absolute Absalon BMC) is not only a versatile athlete, she is also a hard worker and ambitious.
From a very young age, Pauline already shows that she has energy to spare : French champion on the road at 13 years old, world champion junior cross-country 2009 and 2010, and on the road in 2010 as well. She made a successful transition to the elite level where she won three world titles in 2014 and 2015: road, cyclo-cross, cross-country. In 2016, she was selected to represent France at the Olympic Games, both in mountain bike and road. She finished 26th in the road race and dropped out of the mountain bike race.
In 2019-2020, Pauline returns to the cross-country circuit with great success and wins the title of World Champion in the discipline. In 2021, 2nd participation in the Olympic Games and 2nd disappointment following a fall and a puncture.
A few weeks before the World Mountain Bike Championships in Les Gets, we asked Pauline how she’s feeling.
First of all, congratulations for your victory in XCC at the opening of the World Cup in Petropolis!
Thank you! I changed a lot of things in my preparation this winter. I am still working with my coach Barry Austin but I am also working with a technical coach, Cécile Ravanel. I was happy to start with a victory. Unfortunately, I was sick afterwards. I took the start of the XCO but I didn’t have many illusions and I quickly gave up. The season is long!
You know well the resort of Les Gets where you had notably won the national title of the under 23 in 2012. What does it mean to race here?
It’s always a great moment! The village of Les Gets is part of the history of mountain biking and we saw it again last year. Despite the difficult weather conditions, there was a very large audience. Running a World Cup in France and soon a World Championship is a real opportunity, I intend to enjoy it.
You were crowned elite World Champion in 2015, 2019 and 2020. We can imagine that a title in Les Gets would have a special meaning…
I don’t usually hide my goals, and the World Champs in Les Gets is one of the highlights of my season! I have therefore oriented my preparation to this event. Anyway, I can’t wait. It will be a great party.
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