After Kristoff and Démare, another 2010's sprinter legend retires - Elia Viviani to end 16-year old pro career

The 2010's were host to many great sprinters and several of them remained in the pro peloton well into the 2020's in search of more pro wins, a comeback or a significant milestone to complete a great career. Elia Viviani joins the group of fast men that will hang up their wheels in 2025.

Alexander Kristoff recently finished the Tour de Langkawi where he ended his career but this winter the peloton will also lose some of the former top sprinters such as Arnaud Démare and Giacomo Nizzolo - four of the sprinters that have marked the 2010's. Between them there are countless Grand Tour stage wins, points classifications and even several monuments. However with the new generations displaying a power output that is hard to match, only those who adapt well and remain highly motivated can continue to perform in the same way as a decade ago.

This Friday morning, Viviani has announced his retirement from pro cycling. This doesn't come as a surprise as the 36-year old has been on a different path in his career over the past few seasons, with more success on the track, with the road often being a complement to his still strong achievements in the track events. Last winter he was on the verge of retirement as he was not renewed with INEOS Grenadiers and couldn't find a pro contract until late February, as Lotto took the chance in signing the Italian.

The partnership, whilst not long-lasting, saw Viviani take a stage win at the Tour of Turkey and at the Vuelta a España he came very close to winning one of the bunch sprints - on stage 8 where he was relegated after crossing the finish line in second place. Viviani will race the Giro del Veneto as his last road race, but will also participate in the Track World Championships soon.

Regardless of how the last years of the veteran's career went, what he achieved in the past can't be taken away and has marked one of the most successful careers in modern cycling, with 90 UCI victories in his palmarès. He is one of the few riders to have won stages on all Grand Tours, with his 2019 Tour de France win completing that career-long goal that only a few of his peers had.

Viviani started his career in 2010 with the Liquigas - Doimo team next to Peter Sagan, moved to Cannondale (currently EF Education) in 2013, was part of Team Sky from 2015 to 2017, Soudal - Quick-Step in the 2018 and 2019 seasons, Cofidis in 2020 and 2021, INEOS once again from 2022 to 2024 and finally the Belgian Lotto team this year - his first non-World Tour contract.

In 2018 and 2019, he was potentially the most successful sprinter in the peloton during his stay with Quick-Step, bringing in victories in all Grand Tours, the European Championships, Hamburg Cyclassics, Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, Classic Brugge-De Panne and many more victories along the way.

Since his move to Cofidis he hasn't been as prominent of a name on the road, but he continued to build his palmarès on the track where throughout his career he has won World and European titles; and also became an Olympic champion at the 2016 omnium event.