Simon Yates retires. At 33 years old, with the season about to begin and as current winner of the Giro d’Italia. As unexpectedly as his victory in the pink race. But he doesn’t do it hastily. At least that’s what he says in his farewell statement. Although The explanations do not make his departure any less strange.
“This may surprise many, but It’s not a decision I made lightly.. I have been thinking about it for a long time and now I feel that it is the right time to get away from the sport,” he says in the note released by his last team, Visma. “You gave me the opportunity to rewrite my story,” says the Briton, grateful to his latest team.
With the yellow jersey of the Dutch squad, he dressed in pink in the penultimate stage of the Giro 2025. “He says goodbye as a pink jersey,” says the Italian race on its networks. And he dedicates some loving words to him: «Thank you, Simon. You gave our sport unforgettable moments, and your victory at the 2025 Giro d’Italia will always be part of our history. Your farewell letter is truly inspiring, a reminder of sacrifice, resilience and passion. We wish you all the best. Thanks, Simon.
It was in Italy where half of the Yates twins have offered the best of their careers. 2025 gave him back in a big way what he had taken away seven years earlier with a distant escape from Chris Froome in Finestre. The same port that had condemned him restored him to glory in the face of Isaac del Toro’s passivity. But The first major he won was the Vuelta in that same 2018 that had denied him the Giro. In that same race Enric Mas, who was second, made himself known as the presumed heir to Contador that he seemed destined to be. In addition, Simon has won three stages in the Tour, the French youth race jersey in 2017, six stages in the Giro and two in the Vuelta.
«Cycling has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. From competing on the track at the Manchester Velodrome to winning at the highest level and representing my country at the Olympic Games, it has marked every chapter of my life. I am deeply proud of what I have achieved and I am equally grateful for the lessons it has given me. While the victories will always be memorable, the tougher days and setbacks were just as important. “They taught me resilience and patience, and made successes even more valuable,” Yates explains in his farewell letter.
“A legend of the peloton says goodbye,” says the International Cycling Union (UCI). «2018 will forever remain in history. Thank you for everything, Simon,” the Vuelta a España tells him.
«I say goodbye to professional cycling with deep pride and a sense of peace. This chapter has given me more than I ever imagined. Memories and moments that will stay with me long after the race is over and for whatever comes next.
