Ferrand-Prévot Targets Historic Paris-Roubaix Defence — 'I'm Sure About Myself'
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot knows what it takes to tame the cobbles. The French champion became the first rider from her country to win Paris-Roubaix Femmes last year, soloing to a stunning debut victory after attacking with 25 kilometres remaining and using the fearsome five-star Carrefour de l'Arbre sector to ride clear of the field. Now, with the 2026 edition just over a week away on April 12, the Visma-Lease a Bike rider is targeting something no woman has yet achieved: a successful title defence at the Hell of the North.
Ferrand-Prévot enters the spring with the quiet confidence of a rider who has proven she belongs at the very top of road cycling. Her 2025 season was nothing short of extraordinary — a Paris-Roubaix victory followed by overall triumph at the Tour de France Femmes, completing a remarkable transition from mountain bike Olympic champion to road cycling's most complete female rider. "I'm sure about myself," she said ahead of Strade Bianche in March. "I feel even better than a year ago."
First, though, comes tomorrow's Tour of Flanders Women, where she will face defending champion Lotte Kopecky on the bergs of Flanders. A strong result in Oudenaarde would be the perfect springboard into the cobblestone campaign that follows. Ferrand-Prévot's off-road pedigree means she relishes the rough, unpredictable terrain of Flemish racing, and the steep gradients of the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg play to her explosive climbing ability.
The challenge she faces at Roubaix will be formidable. Kopecky and her SD Worx-Protime machine will be the overwhelming favourites, as they are in virtually every race they enter. Lorena Wiebes, who has been in devastating sprint form through the opening Classics, adds another dimension if the race comes together. And Demi Vollering (FDJ-SUEZ), still searching for her first major cobbled victory, brings climbing strength that could prove decisive on the longer pavé sectors.
What sets Ferrand-Prévot apart on the cobblestones is her bike-handling. Years of mountain biking at the highest level — including Olympic gold at Paris 2024 — have given her a technical fluency on rough terrain that few road specialists can match. Where others fight the cobbles, she flows over them, conserving energy while rivals burn matches simply staying upright. It is this quality, combined with her diesel engine and fearless attacking instinct, that makes her so dangerous on the road to Roubaix.
The 2026 Paris-Roubaix Femmes route promises to be the toughest edition yet, with 20 cobbled sectors covering 33.7 kilometres of pavé packed into the 148.5-kilometre course from Denain to the Roubaix velodrome. The increased cobbled distance will reward strength and technical skill in equal measure — precisely the combination that carried Ferrand-Prévot to victory twelve months ago.
Her engagement to Dylan van Baarle, himself a former Paris-Roubaix winner, has only added to the narrative surrounding cycling's most decorated cobblestone couple. Both riders understand the unique demands of the Queen of the Classics, and both will line up on April 12 with realistic ambitions of adding another Roubaix trophy to the household collection.
For Ferrand-Prévot, the mission is simple: prove that last year's breakthrough was not a one-off but the beginning of a new era. "I came to road cycling to win the biggest races," she has said. Paris-Roubaix is about as big as they come.