Visma sports director reveals reason behind Simon Yates' retirement
Simon Yates has announced his shock retirement from professional cycling at 33, stepping away with immediate effect only months after one of the biggest seasons of his career. Visma | Lease a Bike sports director Jesper Mørkøv believes Yates reached a point where the lifestyle of elite cycling cost more than it gave back.
Yates stated on Wednesday that he is leaving the sport after a long period of reflection, calling it the right moment to stop. “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,” the British rider wrote on social media.
Mørkøv reacted to the news with disappointment rather than with disbelief. Speaking to Feltet.dk about the retirement, the Dane pointed to the weight of life at the top level and to a rider who simply lost his appetite for its demands.
“First and foremost, it is of course a real shame that he is stopping, but that is how it is. I will not go further into it, but as I understand it, he himself has lost the desire,” Mørkøv said.
The sporting director framed Yates’ decision as part of a wider trend in modern cycling, where marginal gains and constant scrutiny have pushed the demands higher year after year.
“This is something that has been discussed in recent years in cycling in general. It takes a lot to be able to compete at the very highest level, and it is really tough. Simon has been in the game for many years, and he has simply grown a bit tired of it,” he added.
The timing still feels unexpected. Yates arrived at Visma | Lease a Bike for 2025 after spending his entire WorldTour career with Jayco AlUla since 2014. Rather than winding down, he delivered one of the defining storylines of the season, winning the Giro d’Italia and taking a stage in the Tour de France.
His Giro victory carried an extra layer of closure too, coming on the Colle delle Finestre, the same climb where he lost the race lead in 2018.
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
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