‘Cycling today is very inhumane' – Retiring Omar Fraile foresees shorter careers

The 35-year-old Basque rider, who announced his retirement in April before ending his 14-year professional career with INEOS Grenadiers, told MARCA he had hoped to conclude his career at Spain's Grand Tour.

"Yes, logically yes," Fraile said when asked if missing La Vuelta 2025 remained a disappointment. "In the end, due to work circumstances of my team I could not be there and I was left with that 'little thing'. It couldn't be and that's it, we don't have to think about it much more."

Spain's former national champion confirmed he had requested to race La Vuelta: "Yes, in fact, I was preparing it and I felt good. But well, the team decided to leave me out and it was their decision."

Fraile, whose career included wins at the 2018 Tour de France, 2017 Giro d'Italia and the 2021 Spanish National Championship, also expressed concerns about the current direction of professional cycling.

"I see it from the point of view of having started 15 years ago. I have seen three forms of cycling and, as I have said on other occasions, cycling today is very inhumane and very demanding," he explained. "This is going to make it very difficult for a cyclist to have a 15-year sports career, because it generates a lot of mental and physical fatigue."

Fraile's words about the current situation echo words by riders including Belgian Julian Vermote, in which he spoke to Domestique and clarified the predicament in modern cycling, “I think we focus a lot on results or achieving a certain level, and that’s really important because it’s part of the game,” Vermote says. “But you also just have to enjoy it."

Fraile, who had a wealth of Grand Tour experience and competed in 15 Grand Tours and 12 Monuments throughout his career, is now enjoying family time while adapting to retirement.

"At the moment, I haven't had much time to visualize myself as a retired cyclist. I've been enjoying the family," Fraile said. "It seems very strange to me. I should be starting to train by now, it's very strange for me not to do it. It keeps 'itching' me, I've even started running and I'm still riding a bit on my bike."

When asked how he would like to be remembered by cycling fans, Fraile responded: "As a cyclist who has known how to attack and who has made them enjoy, let them keep that good memory. I leave with the smile of having had a good time and having enjoyed it."

Fraile is not rushing into post-retirement plans, preferring to take time after his long professional career.

"At the moment I want tranquility, enjoy my family and have a little free time, I want to do things that I have not been able to do," he said. "I think that rushing to decide what to do in the future would be a mistake. After so many years doing just the same thing, I need to see where I want to be and, above all, have time."