Former World Tour pro retires at age 29 - "My body and my mental health have told me it’s time"
Cycling
Many have warned that at this point in cycling, the riders may begin to retire earlier in their careers. That certainly seems to be an ongoing trend already and today 29-year old Jonas Gregaard has announced his retirement from the sport after many years racing at the top level.
"After many years as a professional cyclist, I’ve decided that it’s time for me to step away from the sport," Gregaard announced in an Instagram post. "This has been a journey that has taken me through every Grand Tour, across countless roads, and into moments I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life". Gregaard turned pro in 2015 with Team Trefor - Blue Water, rode three years for the Danish Riwal Platform Cycling Team and in 2019 moved up to the World Tour with Astana.
In 2022 and 2023 he raced for Uno-X Pro Cycling Team, winning the KOM classification at the 2023 Paris-Nice, perhaps the highlight of his career. These were his best years as he has Top10 results at La Route d'Occitanie, Tour de Luxembourg and also in a Tour de France stage - the one time he competed. In 2024 he moved to Lotto and has since been in the Belgian team, which is set to promote to World Tour this year. However amongst the merger chaos, Gregaard did not have a contract, but felt like it was time to hang up the wheels.
"I’ve been fortunate to experience the highs and lows of this sport together with incredible teammates, staff, colleagues, and competitors who have shaped me both as an athlete and as a person. To my teammates, staff, and everyone I’ve shared a team bus, a training camp, a suffering climb or a quiet dinner with - thank you. You made this part of my life special. A special thank you to my family and friends. Your support has been the foundation beneath everything. You’ve stood by me through the chaos, the stress, the joy, and the heartbreaks that come with this sport. I’m endlessly grateful."
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New paths ahead
Although he ends his career without a pro win, whilst in the Danish continental scene he did win the GP Himmerland as well as the GC of the Kreiz Breizh in 2017. "Choosing to retire hasn’t been easy, but it’s the right decision for many reasons. My body and my mental health have told me it’s time - and I’ve learned how important it is to listen to that. Cycling demands everything, and right now I need to give something back to myself. Even though I’m closing this chapter, I’m genuinely excited about what comes next".
What that is exactly the 29-year old does not know yet, but it could be within the cycling business. "I’m open to conversations, ideas, and opportunities as I look toward the future. If you’d like to talk, explore possibilities or simply connect, I’m always open to it. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this ride. It’s meant more than you know".
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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