Simon Yates’ decision to suddenly retire from professional cycling came as a shock, but there was widespread support and understanding amongst his fellow riders due to the growing mental and physical fatigue that riders face in the modern peloton.
More and more riders are ending their careers prematurely due to the pressures and expectations of the sport, with burnout a constant risk. Twenty-three-year-old Fem van Empel was a three-time cyclocross world champion and expected to become a multi-discipline star of the women’s peloton, but she opted to retire in December.
“I think for everyone it’s a very demanding sport, also for me. I’ve also been close to burning out, because it is tough with all the altitude camps and everything,” Vingegaard admitted.
There are no more training races, everyone is close to 100% fitness for every race they ride. Modern high-carb nutrition strategies means the decisive action begins far sooner in each race, making it more demanding and more stressful. Tadej Pogačar’s exuberant and aggressive race style is the new benchmark that everyone is trying to live up to.
Now, every aspect of scientific sports performance is pushed to the limit to help teams find a competitive advantage and to keep up with their rivals. Riders spend more time on the road than at home. They perhaps race less than in the past, but now spend blocks of up to three weeks at altitude training camps, even pre-season, as well as before Grand Tours and the…
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