Human Powered Health Cycling has signed Audrey Cordon-Ragot. The Brittany native is the reigning French national road and time trial champion and one of the most accomplished athletes in the pro women’s peloton. The signing comes ahead of one of the season’s toughest one-days, Paris-Roubaix Femmes. Cordon-Ragot will lead the team at the French classic.
Cordon-Ragot is an all-arounder with an impressive ability against the clock. The 33-year-old from Pontivy has won eight elite road tricolore jerseys, two in the road race and six in the time trial. Last year she won the time trial at the Simac Ladies Tour and Postnord Vårgårda road race. Her top palmarès include two overall victories in the Bretagne Ladies Tour, two Cholet Pays de Loire Dames wins, a stage win at La Route de France, and victories at Drentse Acht van Westerveld and Grand Prix du Morbihan Féminin.
“Audrey is an immense talent. It’s an honor to have a French national champion line up with us for Paris-Roubaix,” said general manager Ro De Jonckere. “We are delighted to bring Audrey on board – her health journey is incredibly inspiring. She’s another example of Human Powered Health and we can’t wait to help her share her story.”
Cordon-Ragot displayed characteristic consistency during the first part of 2023, finishing in the top ten for six of her eleven race days. She currently sits 18th in the UCI individual rankings.
“Starting Roubaix in the tricolore is one of the best feelings you can get in your cycling career,” she says. “I didn’t have it in 2021 and 2022 when I helped my teammates win the race. 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.”
Cordon-Ragot’s resolve was supremely tested on September 11, 2022, when she suffered a stroke. It led to a new mindset for the next chapter of her career.
“After my stroke, I was just fighting to come back and focusing on nothing else,” she says. “Now in the races I’m always thinking ‘Yes, Audrey you are suffering but you can suffer more, you’ve already proven it’ and that’s something that makes me a new woman, a new rider.”
She is keen to shine a light on the disease and its risk and impact on women under 40.
“It’s, unfortunately, a leading cause of death for women under 40 and we don’t talk about it. I took it personally. As if I was doing something wrong in my life. I thought that maybe if I heard about the risk of strokes before I could look for signs but even at the hospital I had to wait for two days before knowing that it was in fact a stroke. This is something that touches me deeply so being a part of this team will help me talk about this disease.”
Paris-Roubaix Femmes roster
Audrey Cordon-Ragot
Mieke Kröger
Makaykla MacPherson
Marjolein van’t Geloof
Jesse Vandenbulcke
Lily Williams
