Overview

• The 33-year-old enters the road race as France’s designated leader and a leading favorite eleven years after her 2014 Ponferrada crown.
• She says she feels strong after a three-week altitude block and believes the punchy circuit suits her.
• The course features 11 laps for 164.6 km and roughly 3,350 meters of climbing, with frequent short ascents and descents.
• Selector Paul Brousse says France looks like the favorite on paper, while naming Marlen Reusser, Elisa Longo Borghini, Demi Vollering and Liane Lippert among key threats as Lotte Kopecky is absent.
• The staff cite altitude, humidity and local air quality for day-to-day form fluctuations, and the deep French lineup could adapt if the planned ‘tout pour Pauline’ approach changes during the race.