German under-23 rider Louis Kitzki has announced he’s retiring from professional cycling, pointing to the mental strain caused by recent fatal crashes in races.
In a message posted on his Instagram account, Kitzki revealed how the fatal crash of 19-year-old Samuele Privitera at the Giro della Valle d’Aosta deeply affected him — adding to earlier losses in the peloton, including the death of 25-year-old Norwegian André Drege during the Tour of Austria.
“Probably not the kind of career end I had imagined,” he posted on Instagram. “After participating in my last race, the Giro Ciclistico Valle D’Aosta, and the death of Samuele Privitera, I decided to end my career as a professional cyclist.”
He went on to say that after the 2024 Tour of Austria, where another rider died, he already had serious doubts about racing. Kitzki thought he was on the verge of quitting. Nevertheless, he continued and largely suppressed what had happened. Unfortunately, after that race, he never became the racer he once was again.
“I had completely lost the fun of racing. And the more chaotic a race became, the more brutally I broke down mentally,” Kitzki wrote. He described how the growing dangers on the road gradually drained his passion for racing. It left him feeling increasingly uneasy in the peloton.
He also shared that he hopes to continue riding recreationally, without the pressure of competition.
The post shines a light on the mental health struggles faced by young athletes amid the often brutal realities of professional cycling.
“Towards the end, races were unfortunately just an annoying side effect that you had to accept if you wanted to earn money from cycling. I had completely lost the fun of racing, and the more chaotic a race became, the more brutally I broke down mentally,” he said. “Unfortunately, without the mind, the body only functions poorly. What happened in the Aosta Valley was ultimately just confirmation of my decision, and I can see how well I’ve been doing since I quit. I regret that I was unable to live up to some expectations as a professional cyclist and that my collaboration with Alpecin is now coming to an end. Nevertheless, I am certain that it was the right decision to stop.”
The German began riding with the Alpecin-Deceuninck development team in 2024. He was the winner of the Zwift Academy finals — the winner gets a spot on the Conti squad. This…
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