Euskaltel-Euskadi's Luis Ángel Maté to retire after 17 years in the bunch

Luis Ángel Maté's last season among professionals began this week at AlUla tour. The rider who connected most of his career with Euskaltel-Euskadi and Cofidis, confirmed in an interview with Marca his intention to hang up his bike at the end of this year, which will be his 17th in the bunch.

"Many years have passed and physically I'm no longer the same as before," he claims. "In the end, you see that your friends retire. This year Rojas and Luis León, last year Alejandro Valverde... And you understand that your teammates, with whom it all started, are no longer there. Everything ends, that's life. Furthermore, cycling today has changed a lot."

Read also

“There was definitely pressure from the manufacturer" - Why Tadej Pogacar finally switched from rim brake to disc brake

The Spanish rider however assured that he will stay within the cycling world even after retirement: "I can't wait to start different projects, all related to sport. I already have many ideas in mind."

Read also

"I wasn't ready for the end of my career. But on the other hand, maybe that's a good thing" - Zdenek Stybar on final pro race, World Championships and Mathieu van der Poel

João Almeida: "My goal has always been to leave Portugal as soon as possible. There's too much chaos"