Ruth Edwards extends contract with Human Powered Health until 2026

Ruth Edwards (née Winder) has signed a contract extension with Human Powered Health that will see her race for the American Women’s WorldTour outfit until the end of 2026.

A former winner of the Tour Down Under, Brabantse Pijl and a stage of the Giro Donne, Edwards stepped away from professional road racing at the end of 2021 to take what at the time was seen as a retirement, but was in fact more of a hiatus, as she returned to the WorldTour for 2024.

Initially only on a one-year contract after her time away from racing on the road, the team confirmed on Thursday that the 30-year-old American will continue in the WorldTour until the end of 2026.

“I wasn’t sure when I returned if it would be for a year or longer,” she said in a press release issued by the team.

“The fact that despite the rough spring I’ve had so far I want to keep racing is just a true showing of how much I’m enjoying being part of this team and excited to grow with them and help them grow however I can.”

Read more: Sky's the limit: Ruth Edwards on burn-out and her passion for racing

Making her return to racing at the Tour Down Under in January, she picked up a top-10 on a stage there, before finishing fourth in the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. She took her first European podium at the Trofeo Oro in March, but had mixed results in the Classics, crashing out of Dwars door Vlaanderen and not finishing Amstel Gold Race. She will line up again for Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday.

However, the stage racing of the summer will suit Edwards better. She will lead Human Powered Health at the upcoming Vuelta Femenina and told GCN earlier this year that she intends to race all three Grand Tours, continuing on to the Giro d’Italia Women and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.

“My objectives as a rider are to continue to push myself to be my best athlete and with that, I hope I can get strong results among the best,” she said of her goals for the rest of her contract.

For Human Powered Health, who are looking to gradually step up the WorldTour ladder, securing the future of a proven rider like Edwards is a boost. They have also extended the contracts of Lilly Williams and Daria and Wiktoria Pikulik in recent weeks.

Read more: Climbing the ladder: How Human Powered Health are elevating their women’s team

“We are very happy with these contract renewals through 2026, as they fit perfectly in our strategy of building a top-tier women’s team over the next few years,” said team manager Ro De Jonckere.

“Since last summer, we have put a lot of effort into improving our structure and the further professionalisation of our team. It is nice to see how this has not missed its effect and the riders feel confident that our team is the right environment for them to reach their full potential.”

“When I remember my reasons for returning to the sport, I know now that Human Powered Health was the perfect fit,” Edwards said of the team she will call home for the next two and a half seasons. “For the love of the chase, to see how good we can be, to support each other not just as athletes, staff, and sportspeople, but also as humans.”

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