"More than the peloton itself, I will miss the atmosphere of the races" - Alessandro De Marchi in final months as a pro

Alessandro De Marchi was never a big champion, but over the 15 seasons as a pro, he has built a strong reputation in the peloton thanks to leadership qualities as well as a thanks to his breakaway craft that secured him thee Vuelta a Espana stages. At the age of 39, the Italian's career is in its final act as the Jayco AlUla rider already starts to contemplate his career beyond racing.

"I won't miss much about the peloton I've been hanging out with lately," De Marchi told BiciSport about his approaching retirement. "It has changed too much, and there are many dynamics that I no longer like. There is too much aggression. Thinking about where I started and how I was used to understanding racing, it's all very different, and it's almost impossible to stay there."

"More than the peloton itself, I will miss the atmosphere of the races, the cheering of the crowd, the high fives, and the water bottle that the child asks for at the side of the road. This is the privilege of approaching the end of my career as I am doing – understanding that these are the most beautiful things, the ones that remain with you, which you may not appreciate when you are racing."

De Marchi would ideally like to wrap up his career with two one-day races close to his home - Giro del Veneto (October 15) and Veneto Classic (October 19). "It's a happy coincidence that they're a little closer to home," he said.

It's not unusual for experienced leaders such as De Marchi to step into the team car to share their wisdom after active career. The 39-year-old is not really opposed to that idea.

"Obviously, I'm thinking about what to do once I get off my bike, and the main idea is to stay in cycling. More specifically, I would like to move to 'the other side' and get into the team car," he said. "The project has yet to materialise, but I feel I want to take the path towards becoming a directeur sportif. I'd also like to contribute to road safety, but it is such a delicate area that I wouldn't even know where to start."

But before moving into a team car, wherever that may be, De Marchi said that he doesn't want to "stop and enjoy my last moments in the peloton", saying that he's still going to "strive for success."

"For a cyclist, there has to be that hope of winning, because otherwise we would race without that fire that drives us," he said. "That will be inside me until the last race in Veneto. From September onwards, in the races in Italy, I want to do my best to achieve as much as possible."