The reigning UCI XCO and XCC World Champion, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, 30, has signed a two-year contract with one of the planet’s biggest race teams, Ineos Grenadiers. The Frenchwoman rounded out her 2022 campaign having cemented her place as one of the most complete cyclists in history with UCI World Championship titles in XCC, XCO, XCM and Gravel.
Signing with the INEOS Grenadiers is a dream for me. I’m super excited to be joining the off road team and becoming part of a wider group of riders and the INEOS family of athletes. The INEOS Grenadiers’ professionalism is world-renowned and I have always admired the team’s ethos and spirit.
To have the 2024 Olympics in Paris is huge for me. I want to be the best rider I can be in front of a home crowd and that will be my main goal over the next two years. An Olympic gold medal is the only one missing from my palmares so it’s the one I want the most. It was a key reason to join this adventure with the INEOS Grenadiers. I still have a lot of things to learn and it is the best team to help me reach my goal.
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot
The move sees the Reims native leave Absolute Absalon having signed a 2-year deal with the French squad headed by Julien Absaon back in January 2021. The 2022 season saw her roar back to form after a couple of seasons blighted by iliac endofibrosis which left her struggling for power in the lower part of her left leg.
She will join Britain’s Tom Pidcock, another multi-disciplinary superstar, on the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup circuit for 2023.
Signing a world-class rider like Pauline is a huge boost as we grow the number of multi-disciplinary athletes racing as Grenadiers.
Pauline is a unique talent. Her palmares speaks for itself, especially after just winning four world titles in the space of two months. But what sets her apart and makes her a great addition to the Grenadiers is her drive and grit. She loves the sport and is a natural born racer and that comes through in the way she rides.
Pauline is on her own journey to try and win gold at her home Olympics and this is an area where we thrive and have proven success. We are excited to support that ambition and help her achieve her goals over the coming years.
Rod Ellingworth, Deputy Team Principal Ineos Grenadiers
You can watch Pauline and the rest of the stars of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup take on the opening race of the 2023 season at Nové Město na Moravě, 11-14 May.
