Audrey Cordon-Ragot has had her patience tested on a number of occasions in recent months but looks to have reached the limit of it, with the French champion reportedly having submitted her resignation from Zaaf Cycling Team on March 22 after completing the Tour de Normandie Féminin.
“Since the beginning of the year, I was not paid, nor have I been reimbursed for my travel expenses. Beyond the financial aspect, the conditions in which we were evolving were really not worthy of a professional team. I could not continue under these conditions,” Cordon-Ragot told Le Télégramme on Sunday.
Cordon-Ragot's new season with Zaaf Cycling had delivered a promising start when it came to results, beginning with a third place in the sprint at the UCI 1.1 Costa De Almería, moving onto another podium at Omloop van het Hageland, as well as fourth at Le Samyn des Dames before pressing on to take fourth on GC at Tour de Normandie Féminin after a second place in Flamanville on stage 2.
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Three days after the French stage race, however, the UCI and Spanish Cycling Federation confirmed to Cyclingnews that investigations had been launched into the Zaaf Cycling Team based on allegations that some of the riders and staff under contract had not been paid for their work with the new UCI Women's Continental team.
Cyclingnews has contacted the Zaaf Cycling Team to clarify the team's financial situation, along with the allegations that it has not paid some riders and staff and allegations of a lack of professionalism, but the team has not yet responded.
Cordon-Ragot said she tried to be patient with the non-payments at first but left the team for "my mental well-being" after not seeing any progress, even after many reminders were made.
“As the team was new, I was understanding, I told myself that they just needed a little time to get their bearings. And then, the financial worries led to other worries: at the level of the staff, we were understaffed. At one point, I said stop,” she told the French media outlet.
Cordon-Ragot had spent four years at Trek-Segafredo before departing in order to headline the planned new B&B Hotels women’s team for 2023, but then the B&B Hotels-KTM squad collapsed, citing a lack of sponsorship. She, along with Maggie Coles-Lyster and Heidi Franz, then signed with the Spanish-registered Zaaf Cycling Team.
“After everything that happened to me last year, I didn't want to fight anymore. I think I deserve better,” said Cordon-Ragot, who also recovered from a stroke ahead of the 2022 Road World Championships.
The team is managed by owner Riad Belatreche and named after his grandfather, late cyclist Abdel-Kader Zaaf, who raced in the 1950s. It began as a club-level team in 2022 and, in its second season, upgraded to UCI Continental team status.
Along with top results from Cordon-Ragot, other riders had given the team top 10s at 14 events this year so far, with Zayed Ahmed also winning double national titles at Egypt's National Championships.
In a previous interview with Ouest-France, Cordon-Ragot explained that the Zaaf Cycling Team management is struggling with a logistical problem that is preventing it from accessing the funds needed to pay its riders and staff from the specified bank account. She said the team and riders, and staff were working to try to find a solution to the issue.
The Spanish Cycling Federation confirmed to Cyclingnews that it could be forced to access the team's bank guarantee, with proof of non-payment. The bank guarantee would amount to three months' wages and could only be accessed after a one-year waiting period, but the riders are working with The Cyclists' Alliance to access those funds soon, if necessary.
Cordon-Ragot said she is not angry with Zaaf Cycling Team, and in an interview with L'Equipe on Monday, she said that she does not feel cheated.
"No. I am more disappointed not to be able to complete this project which, on paper, is an interesting project built around a family. But maybe due to lack of experience, they got a bit lost and put everyone in a difficult situation," Cordon-Ragot told L'Equipe.
"Once again, I didn't have to deal with brigands, as had been the case before. I'm quite sad about the situation, actually. I realize that women's cycling, but also men's, at this level, at the continental level, really remains a very precarious environment. And there are still a lot of things to evolve, too many drifts."
In the meantime, it has been reported that some riders from Zaaf Cycling Team have discussed not taking the start line and perhaps not competing until the financial situation is resolved, indicating that they cannot continue to work without being properly compensated according to their contracts.
However, some members of the team have continued racing, recently taking the start line at Gent-Wevelgem and Tour of Flanders, and will be at Paris-Roubaix on Sunday.
"The situation is a bit unfair. Watching this team continue to race without me in races where thanks to me, they were invited, it's a little frustrating, even if I don't want them not to race it, both for the staff and for my former teammates, I would like to emphasize this. But as long as the UCI doesn't decide to stop them long enough to pay the women," Cordon-Ragot told L'Equipe.
Going forward, Cordon-Ragot is considering changing teams but would have to wait for the transfer window to open on June 1, and she hopes to compete at the Tour de France Femmes in July and the Olympic Games in 2024 in Paris.
"To my surprise, a lot of teams contacted me in the last few days when they found out that my story was going downhill with Zaaf. Cycling is a small world... With my agent, we started talking to several of them, but we still have to make a decision. My desire is great to return to the WorldTour. A return to Trek-Segafredo? Yes, it is possible, especially as their workforce is reduced race after race due to physical glitches, falls... I am quite calm. My start to the season speaks for me, it may even be the best of my career," she said.
"The rest of the season should be thunderous if all goes well. In any case, what is certain, as I have always said, it is I who will decide when I will stop my career. Nobody else. I remain focused on my goals. I believe in it 300%. When we pass close to death, we see life differently, we cling, and we fight even more. I'm not afraid of anything now."
