The (Pro) Retirement thread

[misforturob]

Inner Ring had this:

"...there was gossip this summer that his Tudor team were exasperated by the lack of results and wanted a way out of the final year of his contract in 2027; he then said he wasn't finding much pleasure in riding the Tour, the race that once gave him so much."

https://bsky.app/profile/inrng.com/post/3mtl4vjsaas2w

 

[mididoctors]

Looks like Julian Alaphilippe has retired early: https://www.cyclingnews.com/pro-cyc...-early-end-to-his-professional-racing-career/

Bit sudden

 

[mididoctors]

He was clearly not motivated

 

[misforturob]

This year has been quite a sudden decline, he had some decent results last year

 

[Dogtrousers]

As that and https://www.midilibre.fr/2026/08/21...aphilippe-tire-sa-reverence-a-34-13517024.php say, the rider and his agents haven't yet confirmed it.

Similarly, earlier in the season when it became knowledge that he'd be retiring at the end of the year, there was never any official confirmation of that either. Not from him or from his team.

Not that I think he's going to ride on next year. Just that he's been very tight-lipped about it.

 

[wakemalcolm]

There's an argument for people climbing off as soon as they announce their 'future retirement'; their commitment and motivation has to be questioned.

Look at G's results during his retirement year: completely phoned it in. Pinot had a couple of decent digs but Bardet even joined Picnic in his quest to wind down his career.

 

[mjr]

There's an argument for people climbing off as soon as they announce their 'future retirement'; their commitment and motivation has to be questioned.

Look at G's results during his retirement year: completely phoned it in. Pinot had a couple of decent digs but Bardet even joined Picnic in his quest to wind down his career.

But conversely, Anna van der Breggen announced retirement, then won two more Giros, two national championships, a European, two worlds and an Olympic bronze, amongst others.

Then un retired after a few years.

 

[MadMalx]

And Froome retired and forgot to tell the salary department

 

[red.rider]

Now it’s official
https://www.tudorprocycling.com/post/julian-alaphilippe-announces-his-retirement

 

[No Ta Doctor]

There's an argument for people climbing off as soon as they announce their 'future retirement'; their commitment and motivation has to be questioned.

Look at G's results during his retirement year: completely phoned it in. Pinot had a couple of decent digs but Bardet even joined Picnic in his quest to wind down his career.

You say that, but he won a Tour de France stage i 2024 with DSM firmenich PostNL pre-Picnic sponsor change.

That was their fourth from last WT win....

(Bittner a stage in the Vuelta '24, Van Uden a stage in the Giro '25 and Onley a stage in Suisse '25, since you ask)

 

[wakemalcolm]

You say that, but he won a Tour de France stage i 2024 with DSM firmenich PostNL pre-Picnic sponsor change.

That was their fourth from last WT win....

(Bittner a stage in the Vuelta '24, Van Uden a stage in the Giro '25 and Onley a stage in Suisse '25, since you ask)

You say 'win', I say 'was gifted', which is a shame because Van den Broek looked like a real prospect back then with years of similar opportunities ahead of him.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

You say 'win', I say 'was gifted', which is a shame because Van den Broek looked like a real prospect back then with years of similar opportunities ahead of him.

It's not gifting if it's between teammates though, especially if it's team hierarchy. (Pog can gift stages to Del Toro, Del Toro can't gift stages to Pog, its just doing his job)

Luckily for Van den Broek he only has a contract until the end of this year, so he's free to look for a less cursed team

 

[wakemalcolm]

It's not gifting if it's between teammates though, especially if it's team hierarchy. (Pog can gift stages to Del Toro, Del Toro can't gift stages to Pog, its just doing his job)

Luckily for Van den Broek he only has a contract until the end of this year, so he's free to look for a less cursed team

Head to head, square go, no team orders, straight race at the end of that stage.
Who's winning? Van den Broek.
Who was told to let Bardet win? Van den Broek?
Ipse facto: gifted (your opinion may differ)

 

[wakemalcolm]

Suppose it's fitting that Louis Meintjes retired at the end of last year and nobody on here noticed.

 

[rogerzilla]

Hinault did it properly.