While some retirements are officially confirmed and others
remain uncertain, here are some of the biggest names in the sport who could be
saying goodbye in the coming year.
Chris Froome
When talking about Britain’s golden era, it’s impossible not
to talk about Froome.
Chris Froome’s future remains one of the biggest talking
points in cycling. While the four-time Tour de France winner has not confirmed
his retirement, speculation continues to mount, will 2025 be his final year?
Froome, now 39, has endured a difficult decline since his
near-fatal training crash in 2019, struggling to recapture the form that made
him one of the greatest Grand Tour riders of all time. It’s been difficult to
watch him slip to the back of the peloton in recent years, especially during
races he used to rule over.
Chris Froome in his prime was an all time great rider
At his peak, Froome was unstoppable. He dominated the Tour
de France, winning in 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017, while also securing overall
victories at the Vuelta a Espana and Giro d’Italia. In 2018, he held all three
grand tours simultaneously, before Thomas usurped him to take his yellow
jersey.
Froome’s abnormal riding style, high-cadence climbing, and incredible
endurance made him a rider that always stood out in the peloton. However, the
past few years have been a huge contrast to his prime, with Froome fighting
just to remain competitive at the very back of the peloton.
Despite recent suggestions that he might continue racing
beyond 2025, his performances have left many questioning whether another season
is feasible. If he does decide to retire, it will be the end of an era for
British cycling and the conclusion of one of the sport’s most remarkable
careers.
Regardless of his results in the past four or five seasons,
Froome’s legacy is secured, with his name etched into the history books as one
of the greatest Grand Tour riders ever. Perhaps it will take a few years of him
being retired for some fans to acknowledge that.
Romain Bardet
Unlike Froome,
Romain Bardet has already announced that 2025
will be his final season. The Frenchman has been a fan favourite for years, another
known for his attacking style and ability to challenge in the high mountains.
Bardet’s career highlight came in 2016 when he finished second in the Tour de
France, delivering France its best result in years as he finished behind Froome.
He also stood on the podium again in 2017, finishing third.
Romain Bardet secured the best moment of his career at the Tour last year
In 2024, Bardet said an emotional goodbye to the Tour de
France, even managing to wear the yellow jersey on Stage 1; a fitting farewell
to the race that defined much of his career. Bardet is another French rider
who, like Pinot, will be associated with a romantic yet heartbreaking era for
French cyclists who despite inspiring determination never managed to win the
yellow jersey.
Though he never quite managed to win the Tour, his
consistency in Grand Tours and ability to compete in Monuments as well cemented
his legacy as one of France’s best riders of his generation a long time ago.
His farewell season will likely be filled with emotional
moments as he bids adieu to the sport. Regardless of his results, Bardet will
always have that special journey on stage one of last year’s Tour, when he
could call the yellow jersey his own.
Mikel Landa
While not officially confirmed,
Mikel Landa is another rider
who could be calling time on his career in 2025. These are just rumours for
now, but regardless the 35-year-old Spaniard has had a long and impressive
career, winning stages at the Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana while also
finishing on the podium at the Giro d’Italia twice.
Landa’s attacking style and fearless descending have made
him a favourite among cycling fans, and his performances in 2024 suggest he
still has something left in the tank. Last season, he helped Remco Evenepoel to
third place at the Tour de France while finishing fifth himself, and if it
weren’t for one bad day at the Vuelta he could have finished on the podium in
his home race. However, with his contract nearing its end and retirement
rumours swirling, 2025 could be his swansong.
Mikel Landa played a crucial role in Remco Evenepoel's Tour de France podium
Landa has been a key figure in Spanish cycling for years,
stepping into the void left by Alberto Contador’s retirement. Though he has
often been on the fringes of Grand Tour success, his performances have cemented
him as one of the most talented climbers of his generation. Should he decide to
retire, it would be a significant loss for Spanish cycling.
Damiano Caruso
Italian veteran Damiano Caruso has hinted that 2025 will be
his final season, signalling the end of a career filled with Grand Tour
success. Caruso has won stages at all three Grand Tours, if we include team
time trials, and famously finished second at the 2021 Giro d’Italia behind Egan
Bernal.
Caruso has been a reliable domestique and occasional team
leader, earning a reputation as one of the most selfless and hardworking riders
in the peloton. His farewell will be a significant loss for the sport, as he
has been a key presence in the peloton for over a decade.
Damiano Caruso looks set to say farewell in 2025
Caruso’s second-place finish at the 2021 Giro will probably
go down as his greatest moment, as he finally got the chance to compete at the
very front of a grand tour. Though he has spent much of his career working for
others, his occasional flashes of individual brilliance have proven he is more
than simply a teammate. If 2025 is indeed his final season, he will be another
rider the peloton misses dearly.
Chantal van den Broek-Blaak
Chantal van den Broek-Blaak was initially planning to retire
in 2025, but her recent pregnancy announcement has led to an early exit from
the sport earlier than expected! The Dutch rider, a former world champion, has
been one of the stars of the women’s peloton for the last decade and she
deserved a wonderful farewell season. Despite this, there may be no better
moment to call time on her illustrious career than this.
Van den Broek-Blaak’s retirement comes as a bittersweet
moment for her fans, as she had planned to bow out at the top level, however,
with her new chapter ahead, she leaves behind a career full of highlights for
us to look back on. Her achievements include victory at the Tour of Flanders
and Strade Bianche, solidifying her reputation as one of the elite riders of
the last decade.
Lizzie Deignan
Another major name in women’s cycling set to retire in 2025
is
Lizzie Deignan. The British rider, who won the world championships in 2015
confirmed that this will be her final season late last year, and she has won
many classics such as Strade Bianche, the Tour of Flanders, Liege Bastogne
Liege and Paris-Roubaix throughout her career.
Lizzie Deignan is another true star of Britain's golden era
British fans will remember how close she came to gold at the
Olympics in London 13 years ago, where after the disappointment of Mark
Cavendish missing out on a medal in the men’s race she picked up a silver.
Deignan has been an inspiration for many both on and off the
bike, balancing motherhood with a professional cycling career and proving that
elite athletes can return to the top level after having children.
And judging by her 2024 season, she still has plenty more to
give in her final year. Deignan won the mountains classification at the Tour of
Britain, and also finished 12th in the Paris Olympics road race, her
fourth time at the Olympic Games.
So there you have it, is somebody cutting onions? It looks
like the tissue box will be needed this year as we say goodbye to so many
beloved riders.
While some, like
Thomas, Bardet, and Deignan, have confirmed their departures, others, like
Froome, Landa, and Caruso, remain uncertain but are strongly linked with
retirement. Whether its this year or next year, it’s coming to the final
chapters of these riders careers.
As fans, we’re blessed with the new generation of riders at
the top, and the ones that are just breaking through into the top ranks now.
But without those that came before them, the sport would not be enjoying it’s
current boom in popularity.
Which of these riders will you miss the most? And are there
any other looming retirements you’re dreading?