Audrey Cordon-Ragot knows better than most how precarious a career in the women’s peloton can be. Racing in the Tour de France Femmes, for Human Powered Health, the former French national champion has survived a stroke, two sponsor collapses and the prospect of retirement in the past 12 months.
While she was recovering from a stroke at the end of last summer, her racing career was on the brink, after her move to the French‑sponsored B&B Hotels team fell apart.