Pauline Ferrand-Prévot joins Ineos Grenadiers’ off-road roster
This article originally appeared on Velo News
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot has signed a two-year contract with Ineos Grenadiers as she sets her sights on winning gold at the Paris Olympics in 2024. The French rider will be part of the team’s off-road roster and target the mountain bike race at her home Olympics in two years.
"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,” Ferrand-Prevot said in a statement released by her future team.
"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,” she added.
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It was VeloNews that first broke the story linking the French rider to the British squad for 2023, with several sources confirming that a deal had been done ahead of the UCI Gravel World Championships. After winning the world title at the weekend Ferrand-Prevot confirmed that her future would be announced in the coming days.
"The main goal of the season was to be World Champion in Les Gets. I wanted to prove to myself that I could win in my home country with the increased pressure and media attention that brings. Because of the Paris Olympics in 2024 that was an important test for me, and it went perfectly. I had all my family there so it was really cool to win in front of them all. I have now won four World titles in one year and I'm really happy with that,” she said.
"I'm still feeling super good at the moment and really motivated so I'm looking to start cyclocross again in November and try and become European Champion in Namur. After that, I will take a small break and then I want to start cyclocross again and be in the best condition for those World Championships."
Ineos already supports Tom Pidcock’s mountain bike career with the Olympic champion combining his off-road calendar in mountain biking and cyclocross with his road aspirations. The signing of Ferrand-Prevot is another major coup for Ineos Grenadiers as it looks to add new levels to its already rich pool of talent.
"Signing a world-class rider like Pauline is a huge boost as we grow the number of multi-disciplinary athletes racing as Grenadiers,” said Rod Ellingworth.
"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."
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