With the 2022 World Champions in Wollongong on the near horizon, Audrey Cordon-Ragot suffered a stroke back in September. At the time, it was a late withdrawal from the team heading to Australia and only later did the stroke become public knowledge. With an expected announcement about her future due soon, the French rider has been featured in L’Equipe this week.
In the article, Audrey mentions that just before she was due to fly to Australia, she started to feel dizzy, with ringing ears and tingling limbs. A trip to the doctor didn’t shed any light, with a possible thought about diabetes and a prescription for anti-dizziness medication. She was even cleared to ride her bike the next day. It was only after talking to the French Cycling Federation. They took the symptoms seriously and arranged for an MRI before she travelled to Australia. The MRI showed that Cordon-Ragot had suffered a stroke and got the correct anticoagulant drugs to help prevent any further strokes.
A scan showed that a hole in her heart was the cause of the stroke and Audrey Cordon-Ragot has had surgery recently to close the gap in the heart. She only has a few weeks to wait as winter training can begin again at the start of November. Her destination for 2023 is still unclear. It’s known that the French star will leave Trek Segafredo after 4 seasons. It’s strongly rumoured that she will move to a new B&B Hotels women’s team that is rumoured to be created. There are currently some doubts about their sponsorship and budget, affecting the men’s team as well, but the project is a close one for Cordon-Ragot as it takes her back to her Breton roots.
“Had the union not been on it, I would have boarded the plane on Sunday and that could have ended dramatically. Had the federation not been on it, I would have boarded the plane on Sunday and that could have ended dramatically. Without anticoagulant, I would undoubtedly have had another stroke, and this time a major one.”
I feel really good now, the science is incredible. All I can do now is recover and then train. I can not wait. I’m really looking forward to it. Even before my stroke, I felt I had to start a new adventure. I’ve reached a point in my career where I know when I’m going to stop. I’m happy to be able to decide that for myself. This moment will be in 2024, after the Olympic Games in Paris. Now that my career was almost taken from me, I feel even more motivated to get the best out of the next two years.”
Audrey Cordon-Ragot
