The news of Simon Yates’ sudden retirement announcement sent shock waves across the sport, especially in Spain, where many riders were gathered in training camps.
Everyone is focused on preparing for the new season, with new goals and new motivation, so Yates’ announcement was a bolt from the blue. Yet it also touched a nerve with riders about the intensity, stress and demands of the sport.
Matteo Trentin raced alongside Yates at Mitchelton-Scott when Yates won the 2018 Vuelta a España. The Italian is now 36 and still hungry to race but praised Yates for his bravery to decide to retire.
“Perhaps he’s just had enough of all the stress… He won the Vuelta and he won last year’s Giro. He won a stage at the Tour and won a Tour with Pogačar. He has little else to achieve.
“I don’t think he woke up and suddenly decided to quit today. I imagined it had been on his mind for a while and had been eating away at him.”
Larry Warbasse didn’t know about Yates’ retirement when he sat down to talk to Cyclingnews outside the Tudor team hotel in Moraira on the central Costa Blancas coast. The US rider is 35 and like Yates has been a professional for over a decade.
But he has no thoughts of retirement himself and has a new two-year contract with Tudor. He was shocked to hear about Yates’ sudden announcement.
“Are you kidding? That’s insane!” was Warbasse’s immediate reaction. “It’s not like he was slowing down, he won the Giro!”
Warbasse also highlighted the stress of modern-day professional cycling.
“I can understand him,” Warbasse said. “When we turned pro, the…
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