"It's a question of motivation": Matteo Trentin explains so many sudden retirements such as that of Simon Yates

Matteo Trentin rode a more than decent 2025 season - a year that didn't bring any breakthrough result, but didn't disappoint neither. Although the 36-year-old had to wait for his first victory of the year until October when he won a sprint of a reduced group to triumph at the traditional Paris-Tours. For 2026, he doesn't give up on some of his biggest dreams, but an even better year than the previous would've already made the Italian satisfied with the season.

In an interview with Cyclism'Actu, Trentin hints at his early season programme: "The classics season will begin with the opening weekend in Belgium, with a series of races. Then Paris-Nice, and the rest as usual." Either Giro or Tour are on the cards in summer, though that's yet to be decided.

Thus Trentin heads into his third year with Tudor Pro Cycling. In 2024, he joined a team that was slightly above average in the ProTeam division, but two years down the road, the Swiss stand on top of the freeding chain in the second division as they're looking at a possible WorldTour promotion in 2029. "That's why I chose this project: it's a long-term vision," Trentin confirms.

"We're not thinking about next season, but about the ones that follow, all the way to 2029. For a cycling team, it's not easy to plan within the WorldTour or ProConti. This project is here to stay and grow even more. Tudor Pro Cycling was founded in 2023, 2024 was the team's first full year, and in 2026, three years later, we're already the top Pro Continental team with all the invitations to the major races in the world. We've made great strides."

2026 also happens to be Trentin's last on the current contract. And although he suggests that he's unlikely to see all the way through to Tudor's possible promotion in 2029, he doesn't yet feel like retiring. "For now, this is my last season, as I don't have a contract for 2028 or beyond. But I've spoken with the team, and if it's possible to continue, why not? It's something that depends as much on me as on the team."

He continues: "After 15 years as a professional, the children are growing up, and my job no longer dictates my life. I still love cycling, I love training, I love racing and the adrenaline rush. So, we'll see how things go this year."

Simon Yates made waves in the cycling peloton with his unexpected retirement after a memorable 2025 Giro d'Italia victory, one that closed a massive chapter in his career.

"I think it's largely a question of motivation," Trentin suggests. "I knew Simon (Yates) very well; we were teammates at Mitchelton (Scott) in 2018-2019. For a general classification rider, it's different from a rider like me. There's a lot more stress and pressure during the Grand Tours. No rest days (for general classification riders), whereas for us it's a bit different; you're more relaxed in the mountains."

"And year after year, in cycling, very few win a Grand Tour, with the exception of a few like Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, or Remco Evenepoel. Simon (Yates) has done it all: [rode at the] Olympic Games, World Championships, [won] two Grand Tours…

Alberto Contador stressed how challenging it is to remain at the top of one's game in the sport of cycling, even more so if you're trying to win a Grand Tour. "This job demands a huge investment every day, 350 days a year: eating, sleeping, training… Because you're up against world-class riders. Behind you, it's a war! There are 20, 30, 40 runners at the same level, and small differences can make or break a race," Trentin echoed the legendary Spaniard's words.