It helps, with all this, that France has its first winner of the Tour de France Femmes after four editions, Ferrand-Prévot, already an icon after her road, cyclo-cross and mountain biking exploits, adding yet another trophy to her cabinet. A second Demi Vollering win would not have had the same impact.

Suspense, field depth and local heroes alongside broader global interest not only made a compelling edition, but paint a rosy picture of what's in store for the future

Then there was the winner, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, who walked away from mountain biking and Ineos Grenadiers at the end of 2024. The British team missed the opportunity to build a women's road team around the French rider, and thus walked away from a Tour de France Femmes winner. (SG)