Audrey Cordon-Ragot ‘so relieved’ to ride Paris-Roubaix with Human Powered Health after turmoil – exclusive

Paris-Roubaix is challenging enough without any extra obstacles.

Just last week, the 33-year-old did not have a team as she contemplated missing out on the Classic that matters most. But after a whirlwind few days, and an intervention from the UCI, Cordon-Ragot has penned a shock deal with Human Powered Health and will ride on the French cobbles on Saturday.

“It’s been really crazy,” Cordon-Ragot told Eurosport ahead of the official announcement.

“I was just so angry. I was looking at my situation and the situation of my team-mates and I was like ‘why should I be the one staying on my couch while the other ones are racing? This is not fair’. I was just like, ‘I need to do something’.”

After deciding to take action, Cordon-Ragot reached out first to the women’s peloton’s union The Cyclists’ Alliance and later to UCI president David Lappartient to explain the troubling situation at Zaaf – prompting her fast-tracked move to Human Powered Health.

“I was exposing the situation to him [Lappartient] and he had no clue about it,” continued Cordon-Ragot, who will also swap her bike for the mic on Eurosport’s coverage of the men’s race on Sunday.

“When he knew about the story he was really sorry and he pushed even more to change things. Because of him it went much faster.”

She continued: “I’m not sure I’m realising what’s happening to be honest.

“The last four days have been amazing. I feel so relieved, super peaceful and happy, it’s a lot of emotions all together. I’m just grateful for the team to take me and give me a chance to have a good season.”

She left Trek-Segafredo after four years to lead the new B&B Hotels women’s team, only for it to collapse citing a lack of sponsorship, with Zaaf stepping in to offer her a contract for 2023.

“I do think I’ve discovered another Audrey with a real mental strength,” she said.

“I’ve always been head up, pushing, pushing. I’m not saying I never cried, that I never felt bad and I never wanted to pull out, but it was two seconds only and then I was already switching on – ‘no, I’m going to go on, I’m going to show the world it’s not the end of my career’. I want to be the one deciding when I stop.”

Cordon-Ragot was allowed to sign for Human Powered Health outside the transfer window, which opens on June 1, allowing her to ride in the French tricolore jersey at Paris-Roubaix as national champion – something she cannot wait to experience.

“It’s the most beautiful Classic in the world,” she said.

“This is the Classic that everyone is dreaming to win, even climbers who are not riding it. Even if it’s not a Monument for us, it’s just the race that everyone is going to talk about – even those who know nothing about cycling. It’s just incredible.

“The chance to ride it with the French tricolore is for me a dream. I’m going to be the jersey that people are going to see the most and are going to cheer for. I didn’t want to miss this opportunity.

“When I knew from the team I could ride it, I was like ‘wow, that’s really amazing!’ If someone had told me that two weeks’ ago, I would have said ‘no, come on, stop dreaming’. But I’m lucky now that I can still dream of winning it.”

SD Worx are expected to dominate the French cobbles after a superb start to the season, which has seen the team win all three Women’s WorldTour Classics so far: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Strade Bianche and Tour of Flanders.

But after helping former Trek-Segafredo team-mates Lizzie Deignan and Elisa Longo Borghini to victory in the first two editions, could Cordon-Ragot use that experience to spring a surprise?

“I have no idea,” she said when quizzed on whether she could lift the famous cobble trophy on Saturday.

“I never stopped training, I kept on training really hard, I kept on training really serious. So I know physically I’m ready, but mentally for sure there’s been a lot going on and I’m really tired.

“But at the same time I want to use this chance to push on the pedals really hard to show people you should fight for what you believe in.

“I think I’m the right example for always fighting, fighting, fighting to try to bounce back from a s*** situation. Mentally I can push hard and do a good race.

“Winning would be amazing but come on… I know it’s going to be super hard. There are a lot of barriers and you need to have a bit of luck in Roubaix. Let’s hope I’m lucky and I can play a big role at the front of the race.”

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