'My race is tomorrow' - is Pauline Ferrand-Prévot about to blow up the Tour de France Femmes?

Le jour de gloire – the day of glory – might not have arrived for France’s GC hope Pauline Ferrand-Prévot on stage seven, but if everything goes to plan, she’ll be wearing the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift’s yellow jersey in less than 24 hours.

The 33-year-old, riding her Tour debut after a six-year hiatus from road racing, is currently second overall, 26 seconds down on AG Insurance-Soudal’s Kim Le Court-Pienaar. For a moment on Friday’s seventh stage – won by UAE Team ADQ’s Maeva Squiban in Chambéry – the Visma-Lease a Bike rider led the virtual classification, before Le Court rejoined the GC group on a descent, and the leaders crossed the line together.

Missing out on the yellow jersey, Ferrand-Prévot said afterwards, was no big deal. “It’s not for today,” she explained. Her plan is hatched for Saturday’s summit finish.

When Ferrand-Prévot, the Olympic mountain bike champion, returned to the road this season, she was clear she wanted to win the Tour de France Femmes within three years. Her preparations for this year’s race pivoted around one climb in particular – the 18.6km Col de la Madeleine, the summit finish of Saturday’s penultimate stage.

Ahead of the race, the Frenchwoman visited the mountain twice. Asked by Cycling Weekly how well she feels she knows the ascent, her response was fast and confident. “I know a lot,” she said.

“I went to do the recon there, many times, because I knew it was important to know. The race will be decided there. You know, in mountain biking, you know every single route, every single corner – I also wanted to have the same pattern and to know very well the climb like this. You feel much more comfortable, you know where you are, and it’s also mentally easier.”

When the Tour route was unveiled last October, it was the Madeleine, the curtain closer of this year’s Queen stage, that attracted the most attention. “It’s around an hour and 20 or 30 minutes' worth of climbing – an effort I’m used to doing in mountain biking,” Ferrand-Prévot said. “I think it’s going to be a head-to-head race, and I’m going to concentrate on myself and my effort.”

It’s the same approach the Visma-Lease a Bike leader has taken throughout the first week of racing, and as yet, she’s still to be tested. “I’m not tired,” she said. “I was in control today. For me, it’s been a good day.”

There was a moment on stage seven, after she crested the Col du Granier, when Ferrand-Prévot began to imagine herself in yellow. Le Court had suffered on the climb and fallen away. “I thought maybe it could happen,” the Frenchwoman said, but again she stayed calm.

“I told myself, ‘My race is tomorrow.’ Today it wasn’t the goal to take the yellow jersey.”

That prize, she hopes, will come on Saturday. France has now waited 40 years for a home winner of the Tour, the last being Bernard Hinault in 1985. The French have faith that the next one will be Ferrand-Prévot.

Each day at this year’s race, the 33-year-old’s Visma-Lease a Bike bus has been swarmed with fans. They’ve painted signs carrying her name, waved bottles for her to sign, and cried at her for autographs each time she's carried out her turbo trainer routines. After stage seven, as she spoke to the media, she tore the race numbers off her jersey, and handed them to a girl who watched her in awe.

It goes without saying: Ferrand-Prévot is the people’s favourite on the ground. Does she feel confident for the race’s finale? “You can’t be confident,” she replied. “I don’t know how the others are now, but for sure I felt good again today. I didn’t use a lot of energy. I think I’m still fresh for tomorrow, so, let’s see.”

If everything goes to plan, les enfants de la patrie – the children of the fatherland – will be chanting her name at the podium. The day of glory may be imminent.