Former Team Katusha-Alpecin rider, Marcel Kittel, has announced his retirement from pro cycling after 9 seasons. The 31 year old German sprinter won 19 grand tour stages during his career.
Kittel broke the news to his fans on an Instagram post earlier in the day.
Dear friends, fans and companions,
I would like to tell you all today that I am ending my career as a pro cyclist.
I have thought long and hard about this decision and discussed it with my closest friends and my family.
This decision process has not been a quick one, but has taken place over a longer time: During my nearly 20 year sports career there have been not only incredible successes but also difficult times. I have always been one to openly question and reflect when such things happen, so that I can learn and become better. That, together with the people around me, has made me the successful athlete that I now am, but this method has also taught to leave my old ways and learn new ones. I know that there is much more than just sport, for example my own future family.
Recently the thought on this future without cycling has grown, as has the awareness of the sacrifices that such a beautiful but also very difficult sport like cycling brings with it. The biggest question of the last few months was: Can I and do I want to continue to make the sacrifices needed to be a world-class athlete? And my answer is: No, I do not want that any more, because I have always found the limitations on a top athlete as an increasing loss of quality of life. That is why I have a very happy and proud that at this point in my life I can make the decision to follow my heart in a new direction.
At this point I would like to thank all the people who have supported me in my career: my former teammates, my trainers, my friends, and my family, but above all my fans for the incredible support in the last few years.
I look forward to the future with much anticipation.
Yours,
Marcel
Kittel’s carrer spanned 9 seasons with three teams. In 2011, he signed his first pro contract with Dutch team, Skil-Shimano. Though he started as a time trial specialist, he quickly found a career as a sprinter, getting his first win at Tour de Langkawi. His first World Tour win came at the first stage of the Tour de Pologne, and the first Grand Tour stage was at the Vuelta e España. During the 2013 and 2014 seasons, he took the opening stages of the Tour de France, wearing the yellow jersey for one day each. Kittel would go on to win three more stages each year, including the final stage, breaking Mark Cavendish’s four year winning streak on the Champs-Élysées in 2013.
After a disappointing 2015 season, Kittel signed with Etixx-Quick-Step for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. He went on to win his fourth and fifth Scheldeprijs, along with his final Grand Tour wins, including two stages and a day in the pink jersey in the 2016 Giro d’Italia and five stages in the 2017 Tour de France.
Kittel moved to Team Katusha-Alpecin for 2018 and 2019, though he failed to make a major impact in either season. After pulling out of the Tour of California and Tour de Yorkshire for health issues, the rider and team agreed to terminate his contract. At the time, Kittel stated fatigue for needing time away from racing. Though there has been speculation on a possible return for the 2020 season, his retirement brings him off the market.
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