BREAKING: Simon Yates announces surprise and immediate retirement

Simon Yates has announced his immediate retirement from professional cycling, bringing one of Britain’s most successful modern careers to a close at the very peak of his powers.

The 33-year-old Brit has decided to step away following a career-defining season with Team Visma | Lease a Bike in 2025, a year that saw him finally conquer the Giro d’Italia and add a Tour de France stage win to his palmares.

The decision comes as a surprise across the peloton, particularly given the level he reached during his final campaign.

“I have made the decision to retire from professional cycling,” Yates wrote in a personal statement released on Tuesday. “This may come as a surprise to many, but it is not a decision I have made lightly. I have been thinking about it for a long time, and it now feels like the right moment to step away from the sport.”

Cycling has been central to Yates’ life since his teenage years, progressing from the Manchester Velodrome to the very top of the sport. His road career was defined by attacking climbing performances, Grand Tour ambition and an ability to rebound from setbacks that shaped his reputation as one of the most resilient riders of his generation.

“Cycling has been part of my life for as long as I can remember,” he said. “From racing on the track at the Manchester Velodrome, to competing and winning on the biggest stage and representing my country at the Olympic Games, it has shaped every chapter of my life.”

Yates achieved overall victory at the Vuelta a Espana earlier in his career and collected stage wins in all three Grand Tours, but the Giro d’Italia remained unfinished business for several seasons. That chapter was finally closed last year, when he delivered a late race surge to secure the maglia rosa in what became one of the defining moments of his career.

“I am deeply proud of what I have managed to achieve and equally grateful for the lessons that came with it,” he added. “While the victories will always stand out, the harder days and setbacks were just as important. They taught me resilience and patience, and made the successes mean even more.”

Yates’ final season with Team Visma | Lease a Bike proved to be the perfect closing act. Alongside his Giro d’Italia triumph, he also claimed a stage win at the Tour de France, underlining his ability to perform on cycling’s biggest stages even late into his career.

Team Head of Racing Grischa Niermann described Yates’ final season as a fitting conclusion. “With Simon, we won the Giro d’Italia last year, an incredibly special achievement for both him and the team,” Niermann said. “That was one of the major goals of the season, for us as a team and for Simon personally.”

“The fact that he also went on to win a stage in the Tour de France underlines his class. It is a shame that he is stopping now, but he does so at an absolute high point.”

Niermann also highlighted the qualities that defined Yates as a rider across his career. “Simon was an exceptional climber and general classification rider who always delivered when it mattered most. In the Giro, he peaked at a moment when almost no one expected him to be able to win anymore, which truly characterises him as a rider.”

In his farewell message, Yates paid tribute to the people who supported him throughout his career, from team staff and teammates to his family. “To everyone who has supported me along the way, from the staff to my teammates, your unwavering belief and loyalty made it possible for me to realise my own dreams,” he wrote. “Whenever I doubted myself, you never did.”

He also singled out his final team for allowing him to complete his story on his own terms. “To my team, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, thank you for your understanding and support of my decision to stop now. You gave me the opportunity to rewrite my history, and through trust and belief, we did it together.”

Yates leaves the sport with a sense of closure that few riders manage to achieve. “I step away from professional cycling with deep pride and a sense of peace,” he concluded. “This chapter has given me more than I ever imagined. Memories and moments that will stay with me long after the racing ends and for whatever comes next.”

For Simon Yates, the timing could hardly be more symbolic. After years of chasing unfinished business, he departs professional cycling having finally completed the story on his own terms. We wish him all the best in whatever he decides to do next.