France’s Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt overcame illness and a crash to win the grueling Paris-Roubaix women’s race for the first time. The 33-year-old delivered a well-timed solo breakaway, adding her Olympic mountain bike gold medal and 2014 world road race title to her trophy case.
Ferrand-Prévôt was unharmed after falling during one of the race’s 29.2km of cobblestone sections, but quickly rejoined the peloton. She launched a surprise attack with about 18km left, sensing an opportunity and going until the end.
The crowd cheered as Ferrand-Prévôt entered the velodrome alone, crossing the finish line 58 seconds clear of Italian Letizia Borghesi. Dutch rider Lorena Wiebes took third, while defending champion Lotte Kopecky was 2:04 behind in 12th spot.
Ferrand-Prévôt becomes France’s first woman to win the Paris-Roubaix title, which was first held in 2021. The men’s race on Sunday will feature three-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar competing for the first time, making him the first reigning champion to tackle the “Hell of the North” in 34 years.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/apr/12/paris-roubaix-cycling-pauline-ferrand-prevot