"Just like that a career of 16 years has finished" - Thomas De Gendt bids emotional farewell

After being a regular and much-loved sight in the professional peloton over the last decade and a half, the professional career of Thomas De Gendt reached its final conclusion last weekend at Paris-Chauny.

"And just like that a career of 16 years has finished. All I have worked for since I was 10 is now just a memory," reflected the 37-year-old Belgian on his official X account following Sunday's race, where he crossed the line in 59th place as Arnaud Demare took victory. "Paris-Chauny was my last race as a Pro. But like always, the end of one thing is the beginning of something new. Looking forward to discover new challenges."

De Gendt first really burst into the consciousness of many cycling fans at the 2012 Giro d'Italia. His second career Grand Tour at the time, the Belgian won a stage en route to finishing 3rd overall in the general classification. Although in the years that followed, De Gendt would switch from GC challenger to stage hunter, the longtime servant of Lotto Dstny/Lotto Soudal would develop into one of the most exciting riders in the peloton. With a total of five Grand Tour stage wins to his name, and the King of the Mountains jersey from the 2018 Vuelta a Espana, his trademark attacking style endeared him to many viewers.

Although his professional road racing career is over, he has also recently admitted his days racing bikes aren't yet completely concluded. "The plan is to start gravel cycling," he explained to Sporza recently. "I've got contacts with a few teams about doing that more professionally or not. So not to win or to do it as a pro, but just to see what those events are like and how far I can get in them. I'm still a cycling enthusiast, I still like to cycle. In the Vuelta I discovered new regions and I'd like to cycle a lot more. That can be uphill, so I'm looking forward to it."