Ferrand-Prévot and Vos stay positive after tough Tour de France Femmes opener

Visma | Lease a Bike entered the opening stage of the Tour de France Femmes with two potential cards to play in Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Marianne Vos, but the team leaders ultimately had to settle for eighth and 18th place. Both riders shared their stories through the team’s channels.

Visma | Lease a Bike spent the entire day near the front and came through the stage without any major problems, which was the most important outcome. “As a team, we put in a strong performance today,” Ferrand-Prévot said afterwards through the team’s channels.

The defending champion said it had been good to return to racing. Visma had entered the finale with a clear plan to challenge for victory but ultimately came up short. Despite missing out on the win, Ferrand-Prévot said she could still look back on the opening day with a positive feeling.

Vos had hoped to challenge for the stage victory but was unable to stay with the leading group. She praised the way Visma had raced and said the finale had been extremely demanding. The team delivered her into a strong position, but, as Vos honestly admitted, “there were simply a few riders who were stronger today.”

The Tour de France Femmes continues on Sunday with an on-paper flat stage from Aigle to Geneva, before the race crosses into France.