Pauline Ferrand-Prévot's early exit from the Tour de France Femmes 2026 has left many questions unanswered. The defending champion's strategy of 'race less, train lots' seemed to work last year, bringing her success at Paris-Roubaix Femmes and the Tour. However, this year's performance has been a stark contrast, with significant time losses in every key GC stage. Her meticulous training program and power bests couldn't prevent a disappointing 14th place overall on Mont Ventoux, 15 minutes behind the new GC leader, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney. The Frenchwoman's struggle began with a poor showing in the time trial on stage 4, followed by a hilly 5th stage that should have suited her. Despite her insistence that her preparation wasn't the issue, Ferrand-Prévot's performance has raised concerns about her current form. Her racing schedule for the remainder of 2026 is uncertain, with the MTB world championships and the Montréal road worlds as potential options. However, the Tour de France Femmes debrief will be crucial in determining her future strategy. The question remains: what went wrong for Ferrand-Prévot, and how can she bounce back stronger next year?
