Another World Tour rider has confirmed his retirement from cycling: Movistar’s Davide Cimolai. The 36-year old has turned pro in 2010 already in the WOrld Tour and spent his entire career in top teams where he has achieved a lot but also been a reliable domestique for many quality riders.”I’d been thinking about this decision for a while. To be honest, I started 2025 with the idea of having a great year and then finishing at the end of 2026,” Cimolai explained in words to IlNordEst. “Then, however, the way the season went, I realized it would be my last”. Cimolai will hang up his wheels at age 36 after two seasons with Movistar, the last of which one where he struggled through and didn’t achieve any meaningful result – whilst Fernando Gaviria, with whom he had been working with, had the same.
“I struggled a lot physically and mentally. I always found myself chasing form. I don’t consider myself a phenomenon, but I could have had my share of success this year too, feeling good. Halfway through the season, I was already tired: I assured the team I would stay until the last race, in China. It was a difficult year, and I realized it was time to retire.”
With 9 pro wins to his name, Cimolai can count on victories at Paris-Nice, Volta a Catalunya and Trofeo Laigueglia amongst others, all between the 2015 and 2019 seasons. Cimolai was part of the Liquigas team for two seasons, Lampre for five, Groupama for two, Israel for three, Cofidis for two and finally Movistar for two. From 2010 to 2025 the Italian has gotten around quite a lot and several of his early and late years were spent in domestique and leadout roles mainly.
He is proud of his longevity in the peloton and feels like it is the natural moment to step away from the sport: “My professionalism, especially in recent years, has paid off. Qualities like the ability to be a team player and to know how to help my teammates are all elements that have favored me. When I started out, I told myself I’d race until I was 35. Having achieved that fills me with pride.”
He’s been part of many quality wins over the years but has a particular day in 2018 which he points out as a highlight, where in Glasgow he was part of the winning group of five and led out Matteo Trentin to victory ahead of a young Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert.
“I’ve had more than a few successes, starting with the European Championship I won with Matteo Trentin. If I’d had, in my golden years, the experience and willingness to suffer that I have now, I would have achieved better results. But ifs and buts don’t make progress. Now I’d like to stay in cycling, but I also have an agricultural project that’s intriguing me,” he concluded.
Cimolai during the 2025 season. @Sirotti