Pauline Ferrand-Prévot: I would like to do the Tour de France Femmes one year

French multidisciplinary star and 12-time world champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Ineos Grenadiers) has said that she would like to one day compete in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and pointed towards a potential return to the road after the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Speaking to the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club podcast, the 31-year-old made it clear that mountain biking at the Paris Olympics is her current priority, but the creation of a women's Tour de France has made another stint on the road a temptation.

Ferrand-Prévot is the reigning world champion in both short track and cross-country Olympic mountain biking, focusing all of her time on the off-road discipline these days, but she has also enjoyed a successful career on the road, winning the road race world title in 2014 and competing up until 2021.

“I miss it, because also now it’s the Tour de France for women,” she told the GTCC podcast on the topic of road racing.

“I would like try one year to do the Tour de France, because it’s also in my home country. At the moment I’m really focused with the Olympics, but why not next year or the year after to come back on the road? I would like that.”

Read more: Tour de France Femmes 2024 route revealed

The prospect of racing the biggest women’s race, in her home country, is naturally a big draw for Ferrand-Prévot, and at only 31, she certainly has time to make a road racing return. Currently racing for Ineos Grenadiers’ off-road team - who don’t have a women’s road team - she may have to look elsewhere if she wants to rejoin the WorldTour peloton.

However, before any potential peloton comeback, Ferrand-Prévot’s sights are set on one of the few things missing from her impressive palmarès: an Olympic title. With the 2024 Olympics taking place in Paris, there’s even more motivation for the Frenchwoman to succeed at her home games.

After iliac artery endofibrosis - only diagnosed after the fact - saw her struggle in the road race and abandon the MTB event at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and then taking 10th in the cross-country race in Tokyo, Ferrand-Prévot is looking to Paris as an Olympic redemption.

“Since the Tokyo Olympics, I’m really looking forward to this event in my home country,” she said. “It’s also why I signed with Ineos, to try to be a better athlete and be the best possible for this Olympics. So for sure I’m already focused and I really can’t wait for the 28th of July next year.”

As well as hoping to be in better physical shape, having focused solely on mountain biking for the last few seasons - with great success - Ferrand-Prévot is also hoping to have a more balanced approach to her fourth Olympic games.

“I did London, Rio and Tokyo, and every time I was a big favourite, but because of the pressure, because of everything, it’s too much about the Olympics. Like you say, you watch TV and it’s full gas about the Olympics. For me I don’t really like that, and I was not prepared for that. I think now I’m a bit more aware of everything, and I’m just ready to handle the pressure.”