Audrey Cordon-Ragot and Zaaf Cycling Team part ways due to lack of payments and working conditions

Audrey Cordon-Ragot, French road and time-trial national champion has experienced a terrible winter over the creation and immediate disband of the women's B&B Hotels-KTM team. She found a contract last-minute with the Spanish Zaaf Cycling Team, but has left the team following the team's lack of financial funds and conditions.

Cordon-Ragot has been one of the most popular and prestigious riders in the peloton over the last few years, she carries the colours of her country. It is very unusual for a rider of her quality to find herself in such a situation, but bad luck has been following the veteran. In an interview with Le Télégramme, Cordon-Ragot revealed that she broke her contract with Zaaf, noticeably after being absent from the Tour of Flanders where she was expecting to lead the team.

She had argued that she has not been paid since the start of the year, as the team - formed last season - is already undergoing serious financial issues. The working conditions were also said to not be worthy of a professional team, and she left "for her mental well-being", and that she didn't "want to fight anymore".

Retirement is not on the table, but most likely she would only be allowed to sign for a new team now on the 1st of June. With the Olympic Games next year taking place in Paris she is keen to build herself up towards that goal. "It's still a hassle but I'm certainly not going to let go," she concluded.