'I'm definitely retiring with no regrets' – Clarke closes outstanding career at Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race

"Someone sent me a stat that I'm the oldest rider in the peloton this year," Clarke told AAP. "So I think that's a good stat to realise you're probably close to the end."

It was a fitting venue for the farewell. Clarke built his reputation as one of the sport's most reliable domestiques and respected road captains, the experienced head who called the shots mid-race and sacrificed himself for teammates. He represented Australia at the World Road Championships year after year and competed at both the Rio and Paris Olympics, cementing his status as a stalwart of the national team.

But Clarke was never content to ride solely in the service of others. When opportunities arose to chase his own results, he seized them with both hands, claiming stage victories at the Tour de France and Vuelta a España.

"A lot of riders spend their whole careers supporting and they don't retire with any personal results," Clarke said. "Although I've spent a lot of my career supporting, I'm also really happy to have moments in my career when I could chase those results and when I did, I was able to get some good ones."

His 2022 Tour de France stage win stands as a career highlight, a reward for years of selfless work and proof that when Clarke targeted something for himself, he had the quality to deliver.

"They're both proud achievements," he said. "I'm definitely retiring with no regrets."

Those achievements came despite significant turbulence, particularly in recent years. Clarke's career nearly ended in late 2021 when Team Qhubeka NextHash folded, leaving him scrambling for a contract. He eventually signed with Israel-Premier Tech and the following year repaid their faith with that memorable stage 5 win at the 2022 Tour de France, a Northern Classic featuring several cobbled sectors into Wallers-Arenberg.