After Geraint Thomas, who are the other riders who may be saying goodbye in 2025?

Earlier this week, we had the confirmation that Geraint Thomas will, as expected, retire from professional cycling at the end of the 2025 season. The Welshman, who won the 2018 Tour de France and claimed two Olympic gold medals on the track, has been one of the most consistent and respected figures in the peloton for over a decade. His departure is yet another sign that the golden era of British cycling is coming to a close, after Mark Cavendish also retired at the end of 2024.

But, Thomas may not be the only high-profile name to hang up their wheels in 2025. Yes, cycling fans may have to do their fare share of goodbyes this season, with some legendary riders calling time on their careers.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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