Race news
‘Every other year I wanted to quit’ - Joey Pidcock makes honest admission after retirement
Joey Pidcock has opened up about his decision to retire from professional cycling at the age of just 24, revealing that he had wanted to walk away from the sport at the end of almost every previous season. The younger brother of Tom Pidcock brought his career to a close at the Tour of Guangxi earlier this month, but his latest message suggests that leaving the professional peloton is as much about preserving his love for cycling as anything else.
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For the first time since his retirement became public, Pidcock has shared his own perspective on the decision. In a candid Instagram post, the British rider admitted that finding enjoyment in professional cycling had been a struggle for years.
"So much to say, but not now," he began.
"I tried. I tried to be good at it and I tried to enjoy it."
The 24-year-old then offered a particularly revealing insight into his relationship with the sport, explaining why he feels more at peace with his decision this time around.
"I'm happy, I mean every other year I just wanted to quit come end of season but this year I don't hate cycling. And I don't want to hate it."
His words suggest that stepping away now allows him to leave professional racing on better terms with the sport, while still holding on to his love for cycling.
Pidcock also had a message for those who had believed in him throughout his career.
"Of course thank you to everyone that thought I was gonna be someone and that never stopped supporting me you know who you are."
One final race alongside Tom Pidcock
Joey's retirement had already been revealed by his older brother Tom following the final stage of the Tour of Guangxi on October 18.
The brothers had spent the past two seasons racing together at Pinarello Q36.5, with Joey regularly working in support of Tom's ambitions.
Their final appearance together almost ended with a victory. On the uphill finish at Nongla Scenic Spot, Joey and Milan Vader helped set the pace before Tom launched his effort in the closing metres.
However, Jarno Widar proved too strong, taking both the stage victory and the overall title, with Tom forced to settle for second place.
Afterwards, the elder Pidcock admitted that winning alongside his brother one final time had been a special ambition.
"Today I dreamed of winning with Joey in his last pro race but we had to settle for second… again," Tom wrote on Instagram.
Joey responded in typically lighthearted fashion, joking that his brother had missed an opportunity.
"Aye you should have lead me out I would have easily won," he commented.
Walking away at 24
Joey's career had followed a promising path through some of cycling's established development programmes.
After riding for Groupama-FDJ's Continental team, he moved to Trinity Racing, where he claimed stage victories at the Ronde de l'Isard and Rás Mumhan in 2024.
Those performances helped secure his move to Q36.5 in 2025, bringing him into the same professional team as his older brother for the first time.
While Tom established himself as the team's leading rider, Joey took on a supporting role, featuring in stage races and the spring Classics while also producing individual results, including fourth overall at the 2025 Tour de Kyushu.
Yet his latest comments make clear that reaching professional cycling's highest levels had not necessarily brought the satisfaction he had hoped for.
Pidcock has not revealed what he plans to do next. For now, his professional cycling career is over after two seasons with Q36.5.
