Ben Swift has no plans to retire anytime soon- "If you’re willing to keep going and you’re still capable, why stop"

Ineos Grenadiers' Ben Swift has established himself as a seasoned rider in the peloton. Although he has been focusing on mentoring new riders, Swift is not planning to retire anytime soon. In fact, he is gearing up for his fifth appearance at the Giro d'Italia this year.

“I’m still loving it, to be honest. Like I said to my family, if you’re willing to keep going and you’re still capable, why stop?” Swift told Cyclingnews. He continues, “If I was really getting my head kicked in and not enjoying it, that’d be different. But you can’t just have a team full of younger, inexperienced guys, you also need people who’ve been around a bit, like me.”

With his wealth of experience, he holds an advantage over younger riders, and he's confident he can maintain this edge for another two years. “Maybe I’m not developing anymore as a rider. But I am still moving forward, and with these new training techniques and the way everything is getting more professional, I think you can keep going. And in my case, I think I will, at least up until I’m 37. I’m still up for it,” he said.

As he prepares for his fifth Giro d'Italia appearance, he has shared his goals and aspirations for the race. "I had a good start to the year, so I want to get into that Giro d’Italia team and support the squad there. All the guys for there are already doing really well. It’s the same as every year. I want to get the best out of myself and for the team.”

He is primarily concerned with supporting the team, but he also hopes to achieve some personal results."If I get any results along the way, then brilliant but then I’ve got the chance to work with a full array of riders, from young guys to sprints with Elia. I think being versatile like that is good, but I’m also getting stronger and more resilient."