"I lived like a priest because I thought racing would make me happy, but I was certainly not happy" - Xandres Vervloesem, Lotto Soudal rider, retires at 22

At 22 years of age Lotto Soudal rider Xandres Vervloesem has announced his retirement, and alongside he shared very meaningful words and an experience that was very difficult, highlighting the struggles of pro cyclists.

“Even at a young age, only the word cyclist was associated with me. Then it is dangerous to lose yourself in it," Vervloesem said in an interview with Sporza. "I lived like a priest because I thought racing would make me happy, but I was certainly not happy."

Vervloesem was touted as a great talent as an under-23 rider, winning in 2020 the Ronde de l'Isard, one of the main U23 climbing races. He couldn't take that step into the Elite ranks however, racking up less than 50 race days in two years with Lotto Soudal, and eventually announcing his departure from pro cycling.

“The fun started to ebb away when I ended up there as an 18-year-old," he said of his stint at the Team DSM's development team. "Suddenly I found out that being a cyclist is much more than just riding a bike fast. Data suddenly determined my life and that was a bitter blow to me.”

What Vervloesem reports is not uncommon in pro cycling, as the physical and mental strain takes it's toll on riders, and the reality of being a top-level rider includes making sacrifices and focusing in a way that is hard to consistently apply. Furthermore when riders struggle to achieve results for themselves, or in Vervloesem's specific case, watch his team be relegated from World Tour due to lack of them, the problems worsened.

“When I was a rider and met my idols, I also lost my passion for the race. My idols turned out to be ordinary people with many insecurities. I saw what their life was like as a top cyclist and I wondered: do I want that? By racing longer I would have done even more damage to myself," he concluded.