New Zealander Henrietta Christie will depart from the Human Powered Health team at the end of this season and begin a new contract with EF-Oatly-Cannondale in 2025. The team's general manager Esra Tromp said Christie will bolster the roster's climbing squad in the major races.
"Henrietta is a young and talented climber. She isn't afraid of a challenge: living on the other side of the world didn't stop her from finding out what she can do on the bike," Tromp said.
"She moved to Europe as a teenager to discover her talents, learn racing strategies, and pursue her dream. Our team is super happy to have Henrietta on board to strengthen our climbing squad. She is an amazing teammate on and off the bike, which we always appreciate."
Christie, 22, secured her first pro contract with BePink in 2021 and then moved to the Human Powered Health team beginning in 2022 through to the end of 2024.
During her time with the WorldTour team, Christie has had strong general classification performances; 7th at the Tour Down Under, 6th at Vuelta Ciclista Andalucia, while also finishing 6th at Cadel Evans Road Race and 3rd at Gran Premio Ciudad de Eibar. She has also won the best young rider competition at the Tour Down Under and the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche.
“I love the feeling of being competitive, but what motivates me is that I want to do well," Christie said.
"Equally, I want my team and my teammates to do well. I love working for other people and I love having opportunities as well. And I absolutely love the feeling of knowing I did absolutely everything I could have done at the end of the day. That satisfaction is so motivating.”
She joins compatriot Kim Cadzow in what she expects to be a full season of racing and she plans to compete at the Tour Down Under and aims for top performances during the one-day Spring racing campaign.
“Kim Cadzow and I both plan to race the New Zealand national championships so it would be really special if we can bring that jersey to the team," she said.
"I don’t know my program yet but I’d love to race well at the Tour Down Under and of course the Spring Classics, especially the Ardennes. I love the Ardennes. I love the craziness of them, where so much can happen. That kind of racing, plus the punchy climbs, is so much fun.”
