Cordang started racing in 1893, after he left a boat in
Vlissingen where a cycling race was being held. He borrowed a bicycle, won the race, and decided to take up cycle-racing. Cordang won the amateur 100 km
motor-paced world championship in 1895 in Köln. Cordang was a professional from 1896 to 1900. In 1897 he finished second in
Paris–Roubaix after falling in the velodrome in Roubaix. The winner,
Maurice Garin, did not wait for him and won by 30meters. who had extra help in the form of a car. In the same year, Cordang broke five world records on the track of
The Crystal Palace in
London. During the
Bol d'Or in 1900, Cordang set a 24-hour record of 999.651 km. After that, he won the 3 km race in the
1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. This included professionals, so it is not considered official by the
International Olympic Committee. Cordang ended his career after this. According to his grandson, he stopped because he was cheated too often. Cordang became the owner of a garage company. He died in 1942, largely unnoticed. When a namesake died in 1962, the Dutch press printed obituaries for Cordang. == Palmares ==