Having been introduced to cycling thanks to her parents, Pauline started riding a road racing bike at the age of five and later approached Cross Country. Even today she is happy for the opportunity to share her passion for cycling with her family.
From a very young age Prevot showed her talent, beating in youth competitions athletes older than her, then signing with the Rabobank team at 18, thus beginning her professional career in the name of versatility.
In fact, it is rare to see athletes who dedicate themselves with commitment and results to several disciplines at the same time: in an increasingly specialized world, only absolute talents like Pidcock, Van Der Poel and Prevot manage to pursue their passions and goals in different environments.
But what drove Pauline to cross country despite a career that began on the road? According to her, there are three main factors: the physical and mental commitment, the technicality and the atmosphere that one breathes in the XC environment, made of respect and consideration. In fact, opponents are not seen as enemies to beat, but as athletes to overcome, improving themselves by raising the bar more and more.
Her triple victory at the XC, CX and road world championships in 2014 allowed her to show herself and others how not wanting to choose one discipline over another at all costs paid off for her efforts and willingness to be flexible. To this day, celebrating this achievement with her entire family is the fondest memory of her career.
Focusing on a single discipline would be too reductive for Pauline "I need to be free, to be able to express myself and do what I like. That's the only way I'm motivated to strive and improve."
Motivation itself can be hard to find when you have won everything. Major milestones have been achieved, taking away some of the "hunger" that drives younger athletes. The strategy Prevot uses is to choose a goal that is meaningful to her and pursue it every day while enjoying the athlete’s life and the journey that comes with it.
To celebrate the champ BMC and Prologo have developed a bike and saddle with special graphics designed by the Italian artist No Curves, whose style is immediately recognizable. The UCI rainbow stripes and the special texture accompany the symbol of a Panther: an untamed predator unstoppable during the hunt, the symbol that Pauline has personally chosen to represent herself and her style in the race.
The saddle is Dimension NDR with Nack Carbon rails and unique design mounted on the top-notch BMC Fourstroke that the champion will use from now on. It's a short and ergonomic/unisex saddle that measures 245x143mm and weighs only 159gr. The PAS (perineal area system) relief channel is meant to relieve pressure spikes and numbness while riding.
Pauline wanted this model precisely because of its versatility: she likes to remain stable when riding uphill, but at the same time the Dimension NDR offers the freedom to move freely during the increasingly technical descents of Cross Country races.
Learn more about Pauline's saddle here
