Simon Yates announces shock retirement from cycling

Simon Yates has announced his retirement from professional cycling at the age of 33. The decision comes as a surprise as Yates still firmly remains as one of the best riders in the peloton, as illustrated by a spectacular campaign in 2025.

Yates signed for Visma | Lease a Bike in 2025, having spent his entire professional career at Jayco AlUla since 2014 and enjoyed one of the best seasons of his decorated career, winning the Giro d’Italia and a stage at the Tour de France.

With a full circle moment, winning the Giro on the slopes of the Colle delle Finestre, after he had lost the pink jersey on the slopes of the infamous climb in 2018, Yates bows out from the sport at the top, as a two-time Grand Tour winner, adding to his Vuelta a España victory in 2018.

“Dear all, I have made the decision to retire from professional cycling. “This may come as a surprise to many, but it is not a decision I have made lightly. I have been thinking about it for a long time, and it now feels like the right moment to step away from the sport,” Yates wrote on social media.

The Bury-born Yates joined Orica GreenEdge as a 21-year-old alongside his twin brother Adam back in 2014, following two stage victories at the Tour de l’Avenir and finishing 3rd at the Tour of Britain, racing for the British cycling team in 2013. He was also a success on the track, having become the points race World Champion that same year.

“Cycling has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. From racing on the track at the Manchester Velodrome, to competing and winning on the biggest stage and representing my country at the Olympic Games, it has shaped every chapter of my life,” said Yates.

Across his career, Yates accumulated thirty-six victories, including eleven Grand Tour stage wins, and six top-10 finishes in three-week races. Beyond his two Grand Tour wins, Yates also finished 3rd at the Giro in 2021. Additionally, Yates was victorious at Tirreno-Adriatico in 2020 and finished runner-up at Paris-Nice on two occasions in 2018 and 2022.

“I am deeply proud of what I have managed to achieve and equally grateful for the lessons that came with it. While the victories will always stand out, the harder days and setbacks were just as important. They taught me resilience and patience, and made the successes mean even more,” said Yates.

The 33-year-old is one of five British riders to have won a Grand Tour, having won the Giro in 2025 and the Vuelta in 2018, and one of only two British riders, alongside Chris Froome, to have won multiple Grand Tours.

“To everyone who has supported me along the way, from the staff to my teammates, your unwavering belief and loyalty made it possible for me to realise my own dreams. Whenever I doubted myself, you never did. Thank you.”

“I step away from professional cycling with deep pride and a sense of peace. This chapter has given me more than I ever imagined. Memories and moments that will stay with me long after the racing ends and for whatever comes next,” said Yates.

Also read:
Simon Yates: Five moments that defined a brilliant career
Simon Yates' quiet, surprising farewell was true to his story
Closing the circle - Simon Yates, the Colle delle Finestre and Giro d'Italia redemption