Audrey Cordon-Ragot has confirmed that she suffered a stroke a week ahead of her scheduled departure for the 2022 UCI Road World Championships.
The French Champion said that she did not immediately notice the symptoms but an MRI confirmed a stroke last Sunday. She confirmed that she will now rest and undergo an operation to address a heart condition that may have caused the stroke.
"Life always surprises you and this week more than ever I have learned that it is much more important than anything else," Cordon-Ragot wrote in a post on Instagram.
"My non-presence on the upcoming World Championships, which many people have allowed themselves to qualify as whims, fear of losing, disrespect of the French team..., is due to a stroke, which I was victim of, last Sunday.
"Didn't notice right away, I was lucky (yes I say lucky) to be surrounded by medical staff (thank you Gwenaëlle Madouas, Maryline Salvetat and Mathieu Le Strat) who strongly advised me to perform an MRI that surely saved my life.
"Hard to explain how I feel, exhausted, drained, sad, but at the same time so grateful and happy to be home to my people. So my season is over, as you can guess (some will say I'm a crybaby and a sissy, for all these people refrain from commenting!).
"I will see rest and have surgery to address the heart issue that caused my accident.
"Moral of the story is I realized how much I love my family, my life more than anything and I will never let anything or anyone take away the privilege of enjoying them 200%. Thank you to all the people who have asked about me, who have surrounded me: my family, my friends, the federation French Cycling, my team and the care staff of the Hospitalier of the Centre of Brittany.
"To love vigorously is to live vigorously."
Cordon-Ragot has had a remarkable season with her Trek-Segafredo team winning the time trial and road race at the French Championships, the team time trial and road race at PostNord Vårgårda WestSweden and a stage at the Simac Ladies Tour, also supporting her team to numerous victories. She also finished fourth in the time trial at the European Championships where she raced for the French National Team.
