Pauline Ferrand-Prévot makes season debut for Absolute Absalon-BMC

Pauline Ferrand-Prevot
(Image credit: BMC)

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot made her debut with Absolute Absalon-BMC at the Copa Catalana Internacional on February 27 in Banyoles, Spain. The reigning world champion finished seventh, and while she said she struggled during the race, she hopes to be in top form come July.

“Too beautiful today. I take 7th place at the @copacatalanainternacional of Banyoles. First half of the race in the lead, and I crack at the end. But too mega happy to put a bib back on and see where I am,” Ferrand-Prévot wrote in a post on Instagram.

“I’m still struggling to get back on track (and yes, 29 years old guys!!!!) so I didn’t expect anything regarding my result of the day. In 5 races it will be much better, and in June-July I hope to be at the top."

The Spanish race was a UCI HC category race, an ideal early-season competition for the reigning World Champion to find her race legs in the lead up to the mountain bike World Cup season and the Olympic Games. 

After spending four seasons with Canyon-SRAM, Ferrand-Prévot announced at the start of the New Year that she signed with Absolute Absalon-BMC and that she has a focus on the Olympic Games in Tokyo, rescheduled for July 23 to August 8, 2021.

“I am really excited to be riding BMC, a brand with an envied racing pedigree and a Swiss excellence I find very inspiring,” Ferrand-Prévot said in a news release from the team in January.

Copa Catalana Internacional marked Ferrand-Prévot’s debut with her new team at an international mountain bike event.

Trek Factory Racing took the top two spots on the podium with Evie Richards taking the victory by 1:20 ahead of her teammate Jolanda Neff. Germany’s Elisabeth Brandau was third. Ferrand-Prévot finished in seventh place at 1:22 behind the winner.

Ferrand-Prévot’s decision to change teams means that she will not compete on the road events this year and has now strictly turned her attention to the cross-country event at the Tokyo Olympic Games. In the lead-up to the Olympics, Ferrand-Prévot is expected to be at the first World Cup XCO race on 8-9 May in Albstadt, Germany. 

Read more
A rider wearing the best mountain bike goggles
Best mountain bike goggles 2025 – top-rated models that provide clarity and protection on the trails
100% Celium – one of the best MTB gloves
Best mountain bike gloves – top-rated full-finger gloves for every trail and situation
The best MTB grips are the ODI Reflex seen here fitted to a mountain bike handlebar
Best MTB grips 2025 – our testers' picks of the models that will improve your mountain bike's comfort and handling
Latest in
A mountain biker riding a cross-country mountain bike
Content funding on BikePerfect
Calibre Bossnut 2025 seen side on
Don't buy a budget hardtail! The full-sus Calibre Bossnut is the best-value MTB right now with a massive £500 price cut in this Black Friday MTB deal
Continental Race King XC tire side view
Continental’s Olympic and World Championship XC winning Race King Protection is the fastest rolling MTB tire I’ve ever ridden, but it’s not for the nervous
Schwalbe Rocket Ron
Schwalbe Rocket Ron XC tire review – our favorite all-condition race tire
Pinarello Dogma XC bike
Golden beginnings – How Pinarello’s Dogma XC HT rose to the top of cross-country mountain biking
GT Sensor ST Carbon Pro
Is GT's Sensor ST Carbon Pro full-suspension MTB cheap at half the price?
Latest in Latest news
Calibre Bossnut 2025 seen side on
Don't buy a budget hardtail! The full-sus Calibre Bossnut is the best-value MTB right now with a massive £500 price cut in this Black Friday MTB deal
Ritchie Rude riding Fox Live Valve Neo listing
Fox launches Live Valve Neo, a wireless electronic suspension system that can be fitted to any full-suspension bike
e*thirteen's new Sidekick hub being ridden on a trail
e*thirteen launches Sidekick hub which eliminates pedal kickback using a new pawl system
Specialized Stumpjumper 15 Alloy
Specialized grants rider's wishes with the release of an alloy Stumpjumper 15 featuring its Genie shock tech and good old mechanical shifter routing
Steve Peat riding the Santa Cruz Hightower 4
Santa Cruz pitches its new Hightower 4 as the mythical MTB that can truly ride everything
Canyon Spectral:ONfly in a forest
The new Spectral:ONfly is Canyon's lightest e-MTB ever