At just 22 years old, Henrietta was third at the Gran Premio Ciudad de Eibar this year. She is a former junior and under-23 time trial national champion. She has won the best young rider competition at the Tour Down Under and the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche. Her top ten GC results include the Tour Down Under, Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, the Vuelta Ciclista Andalucía, and the Clasica de Almeria.

Henrietta exudes a playful spirit. When she told her parents she wanted to start cycling, they didn’t blink an eye. They had always encouraged Henrietta and her two younger sisters to try different sports and Henrietta had done just about all of them, from field hockey to swimming. But what Henrietta intentionally omitted was why she wanted to start riding.

“It was the sound of the cycling shoes on concrete. Click, clack. I grew up in a small country town and so the sound these shoes made was something I’d never heard before! And I immediately wanted to start riding,” she said.

“Henrietta is a young and talented climber,” said EF-Oatly-Cannondale General Manager Esra Tromp. “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. 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!”

Henrietta expects the transition to EF-Oatly-Cannondale to be a smooth one, in part because she already knows so many of the riders and staff.

“Emma Trott used to coach me when I was a junior and we have a really good relationship,” she said of the team’s performance manager.

“Last year, I used to go to Alison Jackson’s house to bake because I didn’t have air conditioning. I love to bake but the oven made my apartment too hot, so Alison said I could go over and use her oven but there was a cookie tax which was pretty fair.”

Baking has played an important role in Henrietta’s cycling career.

“I used to sell home-baked cakes before I came to Europe,” she said. “That’s how I saved up to join my first team here. The money I earned paid for the flights and spending money. I was typically making two cakes a week and that was enough because I also needed time to train. I would never rush the cakes. I always wanted them to turn out perfectly.”

The same preparation and focus she gives to baking also applies to how she approaches racing.

“I love the feeling of being competitive, but what motivates me is that I want to do well. 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.”

Looking ahead to next season, Henrietta knows where she will direct her energy.

“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. 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.”

We think you and the squad will have a lot of fun in 2025. Welcome to the team!