Simon Yates has decided to bring his professional cycling career to an end. After a successful season with Team Visma | Lease a Bike, the 33-year-old Brit is calling time on his career.
In his final year as a professional, Simon achieved several outstanding results. He won the Giro d’Italia for the team and claimed a stage victory in the Tour de France. Earlier in his career, the Brit also won the Vuelta a España, multiple stages across the three Grand Tours, and the overall classification of Tirreno–Adriatico.
Statement Simon:
Dear all,
I have made the decision to retire from professional cycling.
This may come as a surprise to many, but it is not a decision I have
made lightly. I have been thinking about it for a long time, and it now
feels like the right moment to step away from the sport.
Cycling has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. From
racing on the track at the Manchester Velodrome, to competing and
winning on the biggest stage and representing my country at the
Olympic Games, it has shaped every chapter of my life.
I am deeply proud of what I have managed to achieve and equally
grateful for the lessons that came with it. While the victories will always
stand out, the harder days and setbacks were just as important. They
taught me resilience and patience, and made the successes mean even
more.
To everyone who has supported me along the way, from the staff to my
teammates, your unwavering belief and loyalty made it possible for me
to realise my own dreams. Whenever I doubted myself, you never did.
Thank you.
To my team, Team Visma–Lease a Bike, thank you for your
understanding and support of my decision to stop now. You gave me the
opportunity to rewrite my history, and through trust and belief, we did it
together. Thank you.
To my family, you shared the sacrifices that came with this sport. The
absences and missed birthdays were never easy, yet you understood
what this journey meant to me and supported it wholeheartedly. I owe
you more than I can ever properly express. Thank you.
I step away from professional cycling with deep pride and a sense of
peace. This chapter has given me more than I ever imagined. Memories
and moments that will stay with me long after the racing ends and for
whatever comes next.
Thank you for the journey.
Simon Yates
Head of Racing Grischa Niermann: “With Simon, we won the Giro d’Italia last year, an incredibly special achievement for both him and the team. That was one of the major goals of the season, for us as a team and for Simon personally. The fact that he also went on to win a stage in the Tour de France underlines his class. It is a shame that he is stopping now, but he does so at an absolute high point. Simon was an exceptional climber and general classification rider who always delivered when it mattered most. In the Giro, he peaked at a moment when almost no one expected him to be able to win anymore, which truly characterizes him as a rider.”
