Belgian World Tour rider announces retirement at 29: "The end of a book, the end of a childhood dream"
Cycling
Kobe Goossens has announced the end of his professional cycling career at the age of 29, closing the chapter on a journey that saw him ride all three Grand Tours and claim two professional victories. The Belgian rider revealed his decision at the beginning of 2026, confirming that 2025 marked his final season in the peloton.
Goossens announced his decision and future plans in a message shared on Instagram. “2025 was the end of my career as a rider. The end of a book, the end of a childhood dream. 2026 will be the start of a new book,” he wrote, adding that his next chapter will be in the Belgian real estate sector.
The young puncheur was one of the riders affected by the merger between Intermarché - Wanty and Lotto, as he was not included in the plans of the newly formed Lotto-Intermarché structure.
The situation was quite ironic for Goossens, who had made his professional debut within the Lotto setup, first with the development team in 2018-2019 and then with the WorldTour squad in 2020-2021. After leaving Lotto, Goossens joined Intermarché-Wanty in 2022, where he spent the final four seasons of his career.
Goossens is another rider retiring before the age of 30
An overview of Goossens' career
It was with Intermarché-Wanty that Goossens enjoyed the most successful period of his career. At the start of the 2023 season, he claimed the only two professional victories of his career, winning the Trofeo Andratx and the Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana back to back.
Over the course of his career, Goossens took part in all three Grand Tours: twice the Tour de France, once the Giro d’Italia and three times the Vuelta a España. Amongst his best results were a sixth place on a stage of the 2021 Giro d’Italia and a tenth place on a stage of the 2023 Vuelta.
His final season was heavily disrupted by illness. In 2025, Goossens raced only 19 days after falling sick during Paris-Nice. His final race of 2025 was at the Heistse Pijl on June 7 (he finished in 132th place), which ultimately became the last race of his professional career.
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
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