How Pauline Ferrand-Prévot feels about her last two goals of the season: the World Championships at home and the last round of the UCI World Cup in Val di Sole. The French woman, silver medalist in Munich at the European Championships, tells his season and the choices he made.
How do you feel at this point in the season?
I feel great! The sensations have been good since the European Championships in Munich, they confirm the right in terms of preparation. I focus a lot on the world championships: I know that it is also a one-day race, that there are many factors that can play an important role, but with the body and mind I am there, I am where I wanted to be.
Have you changed a lot of things in your preparation this season?
Yes, first of all I started the season late. I did a big athletic block earlier in the year with the Cape Epic, which I paired with Robyn De Groot, but I knew my goals were at the end of the season. I had to resist the temptation to run, keep faith in the choices I made, despite the criticism, and focus on the technique. So that's what I did: I trained a lot with Cécile Ravanel.
Isn't it risky to bet everything on one race?
Much less risky than seeing your motivation and desire to run vanish during the season! At 30, I have a long career behind me. Yet, I still feel like I'm learning, discovering new things. Because I am curious by nature, and the bicycle offers many opportunities to experience! This season I won the Mégavalanche, the stages of the Cape Epic, the Petropolis Short Track… all very nice!
For Les Gets the competition will be tough, especially with Loana Lecomte. How will you handle this pressure?
It is not a pressure. Loana is clearly the favorite, she proved it by winning most of the world cups this season and the overall last year. She, who is from Haute-Savoie, is even more at home than me, so she will have even more support from the public, and that's normal. But Loana will not be the only one in shape: other riders have put the World Championships at the top of their season's goals and the level is very high. We know that this is a mechanical sport, that there are so many factors "to align" ... so I stay focused. The rest is not up to me.
The last round of the World Cup takes place one week after the World Cup, in Val di Sole, Italy. All races will be broadcast on Red Bull TV.
