‘Pauline is a phenomenon’ – Marianne Vos on joining forces with Ferrand-Prévot at Visma-Lease a Bike

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot’s decision to retire from a sparkling off-road career, leave Ineos Grenadiers and return to road racing with Visma-Lease a Bike has been one of the most talked about transfers of the year.

The reigning mountain bike World and Olympic Champion has indicated that a driving force behind the decision is her desire to win the Tour de France Femmes during the next chapter of her career. The third edition of the eight-stage race starts on Monday in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where Cyclingnews caught up with Ferrand-Prévot’s soon-to-be teammate Marianne Vos and Visma-Lease manager Rutger Tyssen to discuss her prospects on the WorldTour.

“It’s fantastic to have her in the team again. I’ve been racing with her [in previous years], and it’s quite a while ago. First of all, knowing that she was coming back to road cycling was already exciting, but to be next to her in the team will be great,” Vos said at the Luxor Theater in Rotterdam on the eve of the event.

“She is a phenomenon in the sport, and it’s an exciting journey. It’s something big that she is taking on. After winning the Olympic gold and then switching back to road cycling again, I think we are all looking forward to seeing what she will do.”