In this article, I break down Pauline Ferrand-Prévot’s 2025 Cervélo R5 Bike size and full setup, component by component, with a special focus on her bike fit and sizing choices. For cycling enthusiasts, gearheads, and fans of Ferrand-Prévot’s multidiscipline dominance, here’s an inside look at what powered her to the yellow jersey.
Read more: Pauline Ferrand-Prévot’s 2025 Cervélo R5 Bike Size
When Pauline Ferrand-Prévot attacked on Stage 8 of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, ascending the legendary Col de la Madeleine, she wasn’t just riding with power and panache – she was riding one of the most refined climbing machines in the UCI Women’s WorldTour: the Cervélo R5. But it wasn’t just any R5. This was a meticulously fitted 48 cm frame, customized for Pauline’s physique, riding style, and climbing objectives.
Ferrand-Prévot races for Team Visma | Lease a Bike, (Meet the 2025 Tour de France teams and their bikes) one of the premier teams in the UCI WorldTour Women’s circuit. With her Olympic MTB gold medal, World Championships across disciplines, and now a return to road racing, she brings an unmatched palmarès to the peloton.
A Compact Weapon: 48 cm Frame Size
Standing at approximately 165 cm tall, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot rides a 48 cm Cervélo R5 frame – the smallest size offered by Cervélo in this model. This compact geometry allows for agile handling and a lower center of gravity, both of which are essential on steep alpine climbs like the Col de la Madeleine.
What’s especially notable is that she is racing on a new iteration of the Cervélo R5 that has not yet been released on Cervélo’s website as of August 3rd, 2025. According to multiple reports, this model was developed in close collaboration with Team Visma | Lease a Bike and shares the same geometry as the latest Cervélo S5, aligning with the team’s request for performance parity across bike platforms.
The R5 frame is engineered for stiffness-to-weight optimization. It’s a pure climber’s bike that excels under the immense torque a rider like Pauline can produce. At this size, the bike remains feather-light while preserving responsiveness.
that excels under the immense torque a rider like Pauline can produce. At this size, the bike remains feather-light while preserving responsiveness.
Crank Length: Optimized for 48 cm Performance
Pauline uses 165 mm crank arms – a length that’s not only shorter than the more traditional 170 or 172.5 mm cranks, but also the standard specification for Cervélo’s 48 cm frame size. This isn’t a coincidence – it’s a result of meticulous fit optimization that aligns with Cervélo’s own sizing philosophy.
Across the Women’s WorldTour peloton, 165 mm has become the norm for riders on smaller frames. This crank length supports:
- A more aero and compact pedal stroke
- Better hip clearance
- Quicker cadence and efficient power transfer, especially during climbs
For Ferrand-Prévot, it also reflects her MTB and cyclocross heritage, where high cadence and fast leg speed are crucial. On the R5, it complements her body geometry and riding style perfectly, ensuring biomechanical efficiency throughout the toughest stages.
Cockpit Fit: Integrated Cervélo Bar for Climbers
Pauline rides with a Cervélo one-piece integrated handlebar and stem, a design update from the previous Vision cockpit seen on earlier R5 models. Her cockpit setup includes a 360 mm handlebar width and a 90 mm stem length, both matched to her compact 48 cm frame.
This bar-and-stem combo offers a fully integrated front-end with hidden cabling for a clean, aerodynamic profile. The narrow width improves frontal efficiency, while the 90 mm stem keeps her position responsive yet stable on tight mountain switchbacks. It’s a setup tailored for climbing, with comfort and control dialed in for aggressive uphill efforts and confident descending.
Full Bike Setup: 2025 Cervélo R5 Team Visma | Lease a Bike Edition
- Frame: Cervélo R5, 48 cm
- Fork: Cervélo
- Headset: FSA
- Axles: Cervélo
- Handlebar & Stem: Cervélo integrated one-piece cockpit (360 mm width / 90 mm stem)
- Bottom Bracket: SRAM DUB Ceramic, BBright
- Crankset: SRAM Red AXS 2X with Quarq Power Meter, 165 mm crank arms
- Chain: SRAM Red, 12-speed (waxed with Silca Super Secret Chain Wax)
- Front Derailleur: SRAM Red AXS
- Rear Derailleur: SRAM Red AXS
- Cassette: SRAM Red 10-33, 12-speed
- Shifters: SRAM Red AXS, 12-speed
- Brakes: SRAM Red calipers
- Disc Rotors: SRAM RED 160mm front / 140mm rear
- Wheels: Reserve 34/37 Tubeless
- Tires: Vittoria Corsa PRO TLR, 29 mm width
- Saddle: Prologo
- Seatpost: Cervélo
- Pedals: Speedplay Nano
- Bottle Cages: Tacx
- Bar Tape: FSA
- Garmin Mount: CloseTheGap HideMyBell Raceday
- Head Unit: Garmin Edge 840 or 1050
Built to Win: Why the Setup Matters
This setup isn’t just about grams and gears. Every detail is optimized for performance. The Reserve 34/37 wheels, for instance, are specifically chosen for climbing stages: the shallow 34 mm front provides stability and reduced weight, while the 37 mm rear balances stiffness with lightweight climbing efficiency.
Meanwhile, Vittoria Corsa Pro TLR 29 mm tires give her grip and confidence on descents while reducing rolling resistance on the climbs. Paired with SRAM Red hydraulic disc brakes and ceramic bearings, she’s able to push the limit on technical sections with maximum control.
Pauline’s cockpit and drivetrain choices reflect her cross-discipline experience. A responsive, short-reach cockpit and tight gearing range allow for quick reactions, whether that’s a seated surge on a 10% gradient or managing a switchback descent.
And let’s not forget her SRAM Red chain is waxed with Silca Super Secret Chain Wax, ensuring optimal drivetrain efficiency and cleanliness in the mountains.
What She Wears on the Bike
Pauline races in full Team Visma | Lease a Bike official AGU kit, including the custom-fitted jersey and bib shorts (cuissard).
- Shoes: Nimbl, white edition
- Socks: DeFeet EVO Jet
- Gloves: Gripgrab
- Sunglasses: Oakley
- Helmet: Giro
These choices combine comfort, ventilation, and performance. The Nimbl shoes are known for their stiffness and lightweight construction essential for climbing. The DeFeet socks and Gripgrab gloves reflect the Visma team attention to both function and fine details.
Off the bike, Pauline is often spotted wearing Nike apparel, as both the men’s and women’s Team Visma | Lease a Bike squads are sponsored by Nike for all casual and off-bike clothing. While Nike has not issued a global press release, the partnership is confirmed by the team and appears to be managed through Nike Netherlands or the brand’s EMEA regional division. The collaboration focuses specifically on lifestyle and travel apparel, not racewear, aligning the team’s off-bike presence with Nike’s brand identity. It blends casual athletic style with the professionalism you’d expect from a multi-discipline world champion.
Stage 8: The Queen Stage of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes
The Col de la Madeleine is one of cycling’s most revered climbs. On Stage 8, Ferrand-Prévot attacked with roughly 7 km to go and distanced all her GC rivals including Vollering and Niewiadoma. Her Cervélo R5, fitted to perfection, was the silent partner in this attack, translating every watt into forward motion.
In her post-stage interview, she credited her team and her “amazing machine” for the performance. Watching her dance on the pedals, body steady, cadence high. It’s easy to see how much of a role her bike fit and setup played in the triumph.
Final Thoughts: Why Bike Fit Still Rules the Game
At the pro level, marginal gains make massive differences. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot’s setup is the result of years of data, testing, and refinement. While her power, tactics, and resilience won her the stage, the precision of her bike setup made it possible.
The 48 cm frame, 165 mm cranks, and 360 mm handlebar width might seem like small numbers. But in the high mountains of the Tour de France Femmes, they added up to something huge: a yellow jersey.
Whether you’re a racer or weekend warrior, there’s a lot to learn from this. Fit before flash. Balance before bling. And always ride a machine that fits you like a second skin. As proven by Pauline Ferrand-Prévot’s 2025 Cervélo R5 Bike Size, the right fit is the ultimate performance upgrade.