Ilnur Zakarin announces retirement from pro cycling

Ilnur Zakarin is retiring as a professional cyclist. The rider announced his retirement via Instagram. This year Zakarin was under contract with Gazprom-RusVelo, which lost it's license after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"I officially announce the end of my cycling career, have had more than twenty years of different competitions, successes and obstacles, achievements, and failures. Now I am ready to move on. This is a new phase and a new start. I am starting a new chapter of my life and it is still connected to the sport." wrote Zakarin on an Instagram post.

He first stood out at the European Junior Time Trial Championships in 2007. The Russian won the gold medal. However, two years later he was suspended for the use of anabolic steroids, after which he returned to the peloton in 2011. In 2012 he joined Katusha as a trainee. In the nearly ten-year long career that followed, Zakarin won two stages in the Giro d'Italia, a stage in the Tour de France, and the final classification of the Tour of Romandie and planted himself as one of the most influencial Russian riders specially in the field of Grand Tours.

Zakarin will start working for INEX Club. This company, based in Cyprus, organizes sporting events itself, but as a club also accompanies athletes to participate in other competitions. "This is something I really enjoy and will be completely absorbed in," wrote Zakarin on his next chapter.