'I can't compete anymore' - Ide Schelling to end WorldTour career
The 27-year-old spoke openly about his plans for the future and reasons for making the decision on the De Grote Plaat podcast.
Ide Schelling (XDS Astana) has announced he will end his professional cycling career at 27 years old, with his final race scheduled for the Tour of Holland in October, which will begin in his home city of The Hague with a prologue.
"I'm here to announce that I'm retiring as a WorldTour rider. And that I'm no longer as in love with the world and life as I once was," Schelling revealed in the podcast De Grote Plaat. "For me, this is a very normal and logical decision."
The Dutchman cited the dramatically increased level of competition in the peloton as a key factor in his decision. Schelling, known for his combative racing style, indicated that he believes he can no longer compete at the highest level for victories.
"A lot has changed in the peloton since I turned pro in 2020. All those changes have also meant that the overall level of the peloton has increased so much that sometimes I feel like I can't compete anymore," he explained.
Schelling won an impressive stage of the Itzulia Basque Country back in 2023, and followed it up with a stage victory at the Tour of Slovenia a few months later. However, Schelling believes his physical limitations have become more apparent in modern cycling.
"I don't have a particularly big engine. I know that about myself, but you need such a big engine these days to compete in a final. It's a fast race all the way, from start to finish," said Schelling.“Because of that, I feel like I'm not really competing anymore. But I think that's important.”
A significant moment that helped Schelling come to the decision was during the Vuelta a España in 2024, where he received a late call-up and went on to finish second-to-last in the GC despite giving his best efforts. "I rode some fantastic performances for my standards, but I was knocked out of the top fifteen," he recalled. "Then it became clear to me. I didn't want to do this for the next five to ten years."
Schelling also expressed a desire for a more balanced lifestyle, away from the monastic existence required of top cyclists, and looks forward to a different way of life after so many years dedicated to living and breathing the sport at the highest level.
"It definitely also played a role that when you have to dedicate so much time to your sport, it's almost impossible to combine it with a life outside of it," he said. "I love a lot of things besides cycling. If you only have a few weeks a year to do that, I personally think that's not enough."
The Hague native has already planned his next chapter. Together with his girlfriend Hannah, he has purchased a 17th-century building in Campdorà, Spain, where he hopes to develop gardening skills and create a food forest.
"I'd love to learn how to garden, have allotments, maybe even create a food forest," Schelling shared. "I hope to find a way to still be active on the bike. I also hope to continue racing, but maybe only half the year instead of eleven months. A nice mix of fixed gear and gravel, for example.”
Looking back on his career to date, Schelling counts wearing the polka dot jersey during the 2021 Tour de France as his proudest achievement.
"When I turned pro, I didn't necessarily think I would win a race or be a truly great rider. I wondered if I would ever go to the Tour. But that happened a year later, with a starring role in the first week," he reflected. "It was truly very, very special."
Schelling will conclude his WorldTour career with the Canadian races in Quebec and Montreal, potentially the European Championships if selected, before finishing at the Tour of Holland in late October.
