Leah Kirchmann has announced her retirement from a successful 12-year career in professional cycling. In a press release issued by her current Team DSM and in a post on Instagram, the Canadian said that she is ready to turn her focus to other important areas and goals in her life.
“After 12 years in the professional peloton, I’ve decided that I’m ready to invest my energy in other things away from WorldTour racing. Thank you to everyone who helped me on this journey,” Kirchmann said.
Kirchmann‘s final event of the season under Team DSM will be at the Simac Ladies Tour held from August 30 to September 4 in the Netherlands. She will then represent Canada at the UCI Road World Championships held in September in Australia.
Team DSM‘s head coach Rudi Kemna spoke of Kirchmann’s development as a rider during her seven seasons on the team, first signing with the programme under the Liv-Plantur banner in 2016. Prior to that she spent one season racing for Colavita Forno D’Asolo and then four years of her career with Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies, both American outfits.
“Leah has been with us since 2016 and has made great steps in her career here, taking some brilliant results on the road and becoming a role model within the team,” Kemna said.
“A true professional, Leah brought a lot of value to us on and of the bike, supporting the team with her strong riding but also being an important and experienced figurehead for the younger riders; helping their transition to elite level racing and making them feel even more welcomed in the team. We’re really happy with the time we have spent together and from everyone at Team DSM, we wish Leah the best of luck and success for what lies next in the future.”
Kirchmann is a multi-time Canadian National Champion in the road race and time trial and has represented Canada at two Olympic Games: Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and Tokyo in 2021.
She has also represented Canada at 11 UCI Road World Championships, which will also include her participation at the Worlds in Australia this September. During those events she has four times inside the top-10 in the individual time trial. She was also part of the winning Sunweb teams that secured the world title in the team time trial at the 2017 Worlds in Bergen and the bronze medal in 2018 Worlds Innsbruck.
“I never imagined when I first stepped on a bike as a young girl back in Winnipeg that I would one…
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