[the_ad id="5357"]
[ad_1]
Greg Van Avermaet has announced his retirement at the end of the season, drawing to a close a hugely successful 17-year spell in the professional peloton.
The Belgian, who turns 38 this month, made the announcement via a video on Instagram, writing “Sadly this adventure will come to an end”, explaining that he is looking forward to spending time with his family and taking on “other goals in life in which I will hopefully find the same passion”.
Van Avermaet has racked up wins at some of the sport’s biggest races over the years, including a memorable Olympic Games road race win in Rio seven years ago, Paris-Roubaix in 2017 plus two stages of the Tour de France and spent a total of 11 days in the yellow jersey.
Having turned pro with Lotto and spent a decade in the BMC/CCC setup where he experienced his greatest successes, Van Avermaet has spent the final three seasons of his career at AG2R Citroën, with fellow Classics rider Oliver Naesen.
He finished third at the Tour of Flanders in 2021 but recent season have been hampered by illness, including the lingering effects of COVID-19.
Following a post-Classics break, Van Avermaet will return to racing at the Tour du Finistère in France. He could ride the Tour de France if he secures selection but the final race of his distinguished career has to be decided.
“Until the end of the season, I will still give my all with my team AG2R Citroën, that I thank for its trust and team spirit for the last three years, just like I did from the first day I decided to start cycling. Hopefully, I can finish off with some nice results!” Van Avermaet signed off his retirement message.
More to come.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CyclingNews RSS Feed…
[ad_2]