Audrey Cordon-Ragot has had a turbulent eight months after suffering a stroke, dealing with the collapse of B&B Hotels and ending her contract with Zaaf Cycling Team. But she is ready to begin anew with Human Powered Health and the confirmation that she will ride Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift on Saturday.
It might sound cliché to say that the famed and unruly cobblestones of the Hell of the North offer a metaphor for life, but to Cordon-Ragot, that is exactly how she feels about what she has called a "rollercoaster" and "crazy" experience.
And despite the ups and downs and her feelings of instability over the last few months, Cordon-Ragot plans to keep on pushing forward to keep her dreams in pro cycling alive.
"I just want to show the world that you just need to always fight for your dreams and you can do it if you keep fighting," Cordon-Ragot said.
"Paris-Roubaix is exactly the race where you always have to keep fighting. You can crash so many times, you can puncture so many times and still win the race. This has basically been my life over the last months."
Cordon-Ragot was officially registered with the Human Powered Health team by the UCI website just two days ahead of Paris-Roubaix Femmes, and two weeks after she resigned from the Spanish-registered Zaaf Cycling Team over allegations that the team has not paid rider salaries, which the UCI and Spanish Cycling Federation are currently investigating.
Cyclingnews has contacted the Zaaf Cycling Team to clarify the team's financial situation, along with the allegations that it has not paid some riders and staff and allegations of a lack of professionalism, but the team has not yet responded.
Transfer rule exemption
The UCI has permitted Cordon-Ragot's to register with a new team, ahead of the designated transfer window rule in June, due to the extenuating circumstances surrounding her departure from Zaaf.
"The UCI shall consider requests for authorisation to register with a new team before the next registration period in case a rider had manifest and compelling reasons for terminating their contractual relationship with their previous team," a representative of the UCI wrote to Cyclingnews.
The exemption, which she confirmed was granted to her after discussions with UCI President David Lappartient, has allowed her to sign with Human Powered Health and so continue her season with some semblance of stability and security as a fully-paid athlete racing on the Women's WorldTour.
"It has been a big rollercoaster the last three weeks," Cordon-Ragot said.
"Between deciding to quit [Zaaf Cycling Team] and looking for another team, understanding the UCI rules and that I perhaps wouldn't be able to race before the first of June. Then finally being able to talk with the UCI and find a solution. So all together, It's been really, really crazy."
Cordon-Ragot said that she believes the June 1 transfer window is a good rule, but also stressed the importance of allowing exemptions riders to sign with a new programme earlier under extenuating circumstances.
"The [June transfer window] rule has been made for the teams to try to keep their riders until the end of the season or until the first of June, instead of just letting them go to a bigger team if there was really good at the beginning of the season. So, I found this really important for those smaller teams that are developing the riders and cannot keep them because they don't have the budget for it. To me, that's a good rule," Cordon-Ragot explained.
"But considering our situation [at Zaaf Cycling Team], it was not fair to let us [stay] on the couch while the team was still racing Roubaix and all the Classics. It meant that I was not being paid until the first of June, which means six months without salary. That was definitely not possible financially, for me, and for the other girls.
"They [UCI] realize that their rule was not adapted to the situation we were in and that they should adjust it a little bit, which in my opinion, will be done in the future, considering our situation could be repeated in other teams."
A done deal
Cordon-Ragot revealed that, after she left Zaaf Cycling Team, she had spoken with several teams but ultimately decided that a top-tier team, and specifically Human Powered Health, was the best fit.
She felt that it offered her more stability and liked the American-style mentality, which she compared to that of her tenure at Trek-Segafredo.
"I found out that being in a Continental team is not the best right now. A lot of work still needs to be made about this level," Cordon-Ragot said. "I just want to be at peace right now and to have a stable situation. The WorldTour for me was not a question. This is what I wanted."
Cordon-Ragot had already been in discussion with Human Powered Health last season, but she had opted to join the now-collapsed B&B Hotels outfit. Human Powered Health performance manager Kenny Latomme said he was pleased that the team and Cordon-Ragot were able to reach a new agreement ahead of Paris-Roubaix.
Latomme also stressed the importance for colleagues in cycling, on a whole, helping one another in challenging moments, remembering a moment earlier in the year when Cordon-Ragot borrowed a set of pedals from Human Powered Health, or which she returned at a later date.
"It's not that we suddenly have an interest [in signing Cordon-Ragot]. There was already interest last year. And then, of course, I always find that the cycling community is a small world," Latomme said.
"Everyone needs each other, and if we can help each other there is always a day that it comes back. It's not good to have fights with or against other people in cycling. It's always good to have a lot of friends and to help each other. And you see now that the pedals are coming back with the rider included."
In the end, it took only a matter of days before Cordon-Ragot signed with Human Powered Health, which was initially to begin in June but moved up to April due to the exemption, and added to the team's Paris-Roubaix roster.
Paris-Roubaix welcomes its French Champion
Paris-Rouabix will not be without its French national Champion, and Cordon-Ragot is ready to join her new team on the start line in Denain.
“Starting Roubaix in the tricolour is one of the best feelings you can get in your cycling career. I didn’t have it in 2021 and 2022 when I helped my teammates win the race," she said.
"Now comes this opportunity to race in the jersey so I am super excited. One of my qualities is to adapt quickly to any environment. I’m going to be so motivated whatever the situation.”
She will be one of six riders that also includes Mieke Kröger, Jesse Vandenbulcke, Marjolein van t'Geloof, Makayla Macpherson and Lily Williams.
"It's been, so far so good, because I'm back in an environment where I feel good, and here we have good vibes, good training, good organizations, good planning. Everything is just settled the way I like to work, and so for me, it's been really relaxing," she said.
She believes the team is one of the strongest and can rival those of SD Worx and Trek-Segafredo, in a face that is as much about strength, power and determination as about luck over the pavé.
Cordon-Ragot comes with experience having raced the first two editions of Paris-Roubaix where she finished 8th in 2021 and 27th in 2022, helping her former Trek-Segafredo teammates Lizzie Deignan and Elisa Longo Borghini to victories.
"It's been crazy to say that but I feel really relaxed even if the last couple of days have been really crazy for me trying to answer everyone and keeping it secret," she said.
She joined the team to preview the cobblestones sectors in the days leading up to the race, and while the rain will be held at bay, she still expects the route to be muddy - conditions she revels in.
"And for the race tomorrow, I mean, what pressure do I have? I got my bike and rode it for the first time Monday. I know the team of course is waiting for me to get a result but I also know they are aware of the situation and how hard it's been and how crazy it's been the last days," Cordon-Ragot said.
"So, I'm just going there and doing what I like to do, and what I know how to do. I like the conditions; muddy and wet. It's reinforcing the fact that tomorrow I will be ready physically but most of all mentally because tomorrow I just want to push the pedals."
