At just 23 years old and with only four professional seasons under his belt, Alexandre Vinokourov is hanging up his cycling shoes. A severe crash in March during a training ride in Greece resulted in a fractured right femoral neck. This accident has deeply impacted the Kazakhstani cyclist, leading him to decide against continuing his career due to persistent fear during races.
Following his final race at the Tour du Langkawi in malaysia, Vinokourov announced his retirement on social media, calling it his “last dance.” He shared, Seven months after my crash, I raced and trained with fear and pain.
He also expressed gratitude for his team’s success in his final event,stating,I am happy and proud to have helped the team achieve four victories in my last race as a cyclist.
the Last Dance 🥲🙏
7 months sence my crash,I raced,trained with fear and pain.
I’m blessed and proud to have helped the team achieved 4 wins 🥇 and P4 in GC in my last race as a rider…
thanks to all the people who were there in this chapter and see you soon in the next one ❤️🙏 https://t.co/rjVfcZ9eZe– Alexandr Vinokurov (October 6, 2025)
His father, who manages the Astana team where Vinokourov competed, and his twin brother Nicolas, offered their support. His father remarked, I am proud of you, my son. You still have a radiant future ahead of you, and a new chapter! You’re doing very well. It’s a nice school, and you’ve gained a lot of experience.
Vinokourov’s early retirement echoes that of Louis Kitzki,who also ended his career at 21. Kitzki previously shared his perspective on the psychological toll of the sport, stating, The fear only came up when I was on my bike. The rest of the time,it didn’t affect me. This fear of falling, of losing everything, you cannot eliminate it.
He added, Psychologists only care about your symptoms; they can’t make a cycle race safer.
