The 2025 season sees plenty of top riders and former stars hanging up their wheels and this includes former Grand Tour winners, World Champions and many of the 2010’s best sprinters. It is a list of 28 World Tour riders and 17 ProTeam riders, thus far, who have confirmed they are ending their careers.
The biggest ‘star’ hanging up his wheels this season perhaps is Geraint Thomas, winner of the 2018 season, long-standing member of INEOS Grenadiers and influential figure for over a decade now in the peloton. He ended his career at the Tour of Britain at home in Wales, an ideal finale. Other GC riders such as Romain Bardet, Rafal Majka, Louis Meintjes have Michael Woods also raced for the final time as pros this season.In the field of the classics specialists Rui Costa is retiring, the only former rainbow jersey to do it this year – although several silver and bronze medalists are also in this position. What is most notable is the list of sprinters retiring this year, struggling to keep up with the pace of the new generation who specialize in multiple terrains, not just the sprints. It is a golden list of fast men, many of which marked and dominated races in the 2010’s.
Alexander Kristoff, Elia Viviani, Giacomo Nizzolo, Caleb Ewan, Arnaud Démare (and his memorable leadout Dan McLay) all retired at the end of the year. Combined, these men have over 350 pro wins…
Geraint Thomas has last raced at the Tour of Britain. @SWpix.com
World Tour riders retiring
Victory number 97 for Alexander Kristoff at this year’s Vuelta a Andalucia. The Norwegian looked to reach 100, but ended his career at 98. @Sirotti
ProTeam riders retiring