Clara Emond has decided to join EF Education-Cannondale for next season. The 26-year-old from Canada joins from Arkea Pro Cycling after a promising 2023 season. She finished 2nd in GC at the Vuelta Extremadura and was also 3rd at La Périgord Ladies as well. Emond hasn’t been cycling for too long. She took it up in 2021 while studying law and has progressed quickly through the ranks.
Emond has shown herself to be strong on the climbs, although her result at La Périgord also showed that she can do well in the flatter one-day races as well. She will fit in well with the other North Americans on the new EF Education-Cannondale team, in particular fellow Canadians Alison Jackson and Magdeleine Vallieres Mill.
“I had other stuff going on when cycling came into my life,” Emond said. She had just passed her bar exams to become a lawyer. She was also finishing her master’s degree focused on sports law. Despite juggling academic demands, Clara found that cycling and law both provided a break from each other. “Cycling is now my priority, but academics help me focus,” she added.
EF Education-Cannondale’s General Manager, Esra Tromp, is excited about the new recruit. “It’s a bit of a gamble, but sometimes you feel that a rider has huge potential,” said Tromp. She believes Clara’s real strength lies in her ability to climb well, especially on tougher terrains. According to Tromp, Clara’s intelligence and fearless attitude are other assets she brings to the team.
For Emond, the move to EF Education-Cannondale is more than a career change; it’s the next big step in a journey she never expected but is fully embracing. She remains committed to improving. “What motivates me is getting better, in sports and in life,” she says.
