Simon Yates Announces Cycling Retirement

Simon Yates, the 33-year-old British cyclist and two-time Grand Tour winner, announced his retirement from professional racing on Wednesday, capping a 13-year career highlighted by victories at the 2018 Vuelta a España and the 2025 Giro d'Italia.

The decision, shared in a statement from his team Visma-Lease a Bike, came just seven months after Yates sealed the Giro title with a decisive attack on the Colle delle Finestre climb, the same mountain stage where he lost the 2018 race to compatriot Chris Froome. Yates, who joined Visma-Lease a Bike in 2025, described the move as one he had contemplated for some time. "This may come as a surprise to many, but it is not a decision I have made lightly," he said. "I have been thinking about it for a long time, and it now feels like the right moment to step away from the sport."

Yates ends his career with a strong record across cycling's marquee events. He claimed overall success at the Vuelta in 2018, his first Grand Tour triumph, following a sixth-place finish there that included his debut stage win. At the Giro, he amassed six stage victories and became only the third British rider to wear the maglia rosa, joining Froome and Tao...