Grace Reynolds (Megamo Vosges Team) came close to quitting cycling in August. On September 12, she won Paris-Bourges, five months after a training crash left her with a traumatic brain injury and unable to walk without assistance when she regained consciousness.
“Proud! I was unbelievably proud of myself after everything I have overcome this year,” the Irish racer told Velora Cycling.
Her win came with her first race back in France and also helped Megamo Vosges overturn a 21-point deficit to take the team title in the Coupe de France N1 competition. But Reynolds was more focused on keeping her anxiety at bay so she could complete the race.
The April crash happened when she hit a pothole during training. Reynolds suffered a diffuse axonal injury, a form of traumatic brain injury.
“This injury resulted in me not being awake or aware for the first week, I do not remember anything from the first nine days in hospital,” she said.
After that, Reynolds was transferred to hospital in London for neurological rehabilitation. Once she regained consciousness she made really good progress that was quicker than expected, but she needed help to walk and faced months of rehabilitation.
“I struggled a lot with memory loss and severe fatigue but over May and June these symptoms improved with lots of tedious work with my neurophysio.”
This isn’t the first time Reynolds has had to come back from injury. She was hit by cars twice in six months in 2022, leaving her with broken bones, but those crashes were not on the same level as this year’s.
“These experiences definitely helped me this year, I believed that the comeback was possible and that I had the mental strength and resilience required to come back,” she said. “Although this year has definitely been the biggest challenge I have faced in my life thus far.”
Returning to racing with anxiety
Initially Reynolds wanted to just complete one race before the season ended, having ridden outside for the first time since the crash a month after it happened. She could then increase her training while managing her symptoms.
However, as her fitness on the bike improved the psychological effects became harder to manage. Her mental health took a dive as she struggled with intense anxiety about crashing again and she has still not been able to get to her pre-crash training volume because of this. Even so, she has managed to get back to the shape she had before the crash, something that had seemed near impossible.
British National Series races offered a way back into competition with familiar people around her. Reynolds finished 12th at the South Molton Grand Prix in July and 25th at the Curlew Cup in August. The two tough races involved very different terrain and styles of racing.
“These were vital, I was able to race with my family watching in a very low-pressure environment surrounded by my friends,” she said. “These helped build my confidence before coming to race with the team in France.”
But her anxiety did surface again for her third race back.
“The third race I DNF’d due to my anxiety, so the few weeks before Paris-Bourges were about getting myself into a positive headspace to race.”
Reynolds credited Megamo Vosges with supporting her throughout the season, having joined the French team because she felt a change from her previous squad, Smurfit-WestRock, would help her development.
Despite the language barrier, she said the environment on and off the bike had been more positive, and had contributed to her early-season results. Before the crash, she had finished third at Boucles de Seine-et-Marne Féminines and second at Les Reines de la Cisse.
“I really enjoyed my time with Megamo Vosges and I’m so grateful for their support and belief in me throughout the season,” she said.
Paris-Bourges and the final sprint
Reynolds knew the form was there going into Paris-Bourges. The men’s race dates back to 1913, but the women’s race is a much more recent addition to the calendar. But Reynolds was just focusing on getting round and seeing how things went.
“Coming into the race I had zero expectations, I knew the form was good but for me to perform I needed to remove all pressure to keep my anxiety under control,” she said. “The plan was for me to be in front helping to cover attacks. I bridged across to a solo rider, then a few kilometres later others came across to us.
“I reduced the group over the 2nd GPM, this was a very good situation for the team. I did not expect the break to go all the way to the line, but as we came into the final I knew I felt good and gave the sprint everything I had.”
Reynolds pictured in 2025, ahead of her crash and when riding for Smurfit Westrock Cycling Team. Photo: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
Reynolds won the 107-kilometre race ahead of Balladyne Tritsch (VC Morteau-Montbenoît) and Loane Ménager (Vendée Féminine RVC). Behind her, teammate Charlotte Allard finished 18th and scored points that helped decide the season-long team competition.
“I was very close to quitting the sport all together in August but this is proof to just never give up," Reynolds said. "I was filled with emotion after crossing the line, almost disbelief, but seeing how happy my teammates and my DS Julien were really added to the feeling of pride. The result exceeded all expectations I had returning to racing this season.”
Megamo Vosges general manager Anthony Louis said the victory carried an additional emotional weight because of what the riders achieved together.
“We went into the final round 21 points behind Chambéry, knowing that we had virtually no choice but to race aggressively and try to turn the whole competition around,” Louis told Velora.
“Grace won the race, Charlotte Allard also scored crucial points, and in the end we won the overall Coupe de France N1 team classification by just three points.”
The club had finished runner-up in the national team competition for three consecutive seasons, in N2 in 2023 and 2024, then in N1 in 2025.
“It feels like the reward for several years of work by our riders, staff, volunteers and partners,” Louis said. “I was very close to quitting the sport all together in August but this is proof to just never give up,” she said.
Reynolds will hope she can now kick on in her remaining races in 2026 before looking forward to the rest of her career after an inspirational fightback to top shape and winning form.
Image credits: Megamo Vosges Team and Paris-Bourges-UBCC
