Tour de France champions Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Tadej Pogačar may have claimed their victories a week apart and in different parts of France, but they still found time to celebrate together. On Wednesday, the pair met in Monaco for a ride, with Ferrand-Prévot sharing a smiling photo of them arm in arm on Instagram. It was her first ride since winning the Tour de France Femmes, joined by Pogačar and fellow pro Urška Zigart.
Both based in Monaco, they rode part of the principality’s scenic roads together. “I had many reasons to smile this morning,” Ferrand-Prévot wrote. “Back on the bike, and shared a bit of my ride with these beautiful humans Urška Zigart and Tadej Pogačar.” Now a four-time Tour winner, Pogačar offered advice to Ferrand-Prévot, who only returned to road racing this year. She called his words “inspiring” before joking about asking for a photo with cycling’s biggest star, tagging it #fangirlproblems. Pogačar also reposted the photo on his Instagram story.
While the first stage of the inaugural Tour de France Femmes overlapped with the men’s final stage in Paris, opportunities for both winners to be celebrated together have been rare, usually limited to the annual route presentation. Pogačar has been spotted supporting the women’s race in past years when Zigart competed, but not this season.
Riding for Visma–Lease a Bike, where men’s and women’s teams share resources, Ferrand-Prévot received strong backing ahead of her Tour victory. However, nothing prepared her for the wave of “PFPmania” in France, with her triumph drawing even more national excitement than Pogačar’s wins. Fans filled her Instagram comments with praise, calling them “Le GOAT et la GOAT,” and joking, “Nice of Pauline to take time with fans” and “Here’s a phenomenal Tour de France winner… and next to her, Urška’s boyfriend.”
Ferrand-Prévot’s win has also earned recognition from male pros, with L’Équipe publishing congratulatory messages from stars like Chris Froome, Romain Bardet, Bernard Hinault, and Richard Virenque. Froome lauded her as “one of the most talented and versatile riders in the sport,” praising her strength, determination, and the global significance of her victory for women’s cycling.
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