Former Vuelta a Espana stage winner ends career with podium in final race

Every year, during this part of the season, we start to see riders across the peloton embark on their final professional rides. In 2025 it is of course no different, with the latest recognisable face hanging up his cycling shoes coming in the form of a former Vuelta a Espana stage winner.

Back in 2023, Geoffrey Soupe shocked the cycling world at the Vuelta a Espana, powering to victory on stage 7 ahead of the likes of Orluis Aular, Edward Theuns, Juan Sebastian Molano and Kaden Groves, among others, in Oliva, taking the biggest win of his career in the process. That turned out to be the only World Tour win of Soupe's career, with his three over successes coming at the 2.1 La Tropicale Amissa Bongo.

With his big beard making him instantly recognisable in the peloton, Soupe was a loyal and helpful soldier across the French World Tour teams over the course of his career, starting off at FDJ in the early 2010s, before moving to Cofidis between 2015 and 2019, and then latterly joining Team TotalEnergies, for whom he took that Vuelta stage win and now rides off into retirement with.

Ending his career strongly, Soupe has been competing on Japanese roads this week. Following a 3rd placed finish at the Tour de Kyushu Exhibition Sasebo Criterium on October 10th, Soupe has continued the good form into the Tour de Kyushu, finishing 2nd on stage 2 and then 3rd on stage 3, securing a podium finish on the final professional race day of his career.

"The career of the most beautiful beard of the peloton has ended in the country of the Rising Sun," wrote TotalEnergies on Instagram. "Exemplary leadout man, model teammate, with great simplicity, Geoffrey Soupe ended his career at the end of the Tour de Kyushu. At 37 years old, he leaves the memory of a generous and respected racer, marked forever by his magnificent victory on the Vuelta 2023. Thank you, Geoffrey."