One more World Tour pro retires from pro cycling at age... 27

Pro cycling is going through a major shift, and in the current peloton, it is being more and more frequent to see riders retire from the sport at a young age. Michel Ries of Arkéa - B&B Hotels is another one who has announced he is moving on from competition, despite being only 27 years in age.

"After many years on the bike — from my first races with UC Dippach, to growing step by step with Kometa Cycling Team, and finally living my childhood dream in the WorldTour with Trek and Arkéa — the time has come to say goodbye to professional cycling," Ries said in a post shared on Instagram. "This journey went much further than I ever imagined when I started. I had the privilege to ride Grand Tours, race some of the biggest Monuments, and represent my country at the Tokyo Olympic Games. These are moments I will never forget".

Ries turned pro in 2019 with Kometa Cycling Team, the team that would later turn into the current Team Polti VisitMalta. He had already been a trainee for Lidl-Trek beforehand and in 2020 he made the jump to the World Tour after having shown great climbing abilities with a victory at the Giro della Valle d'Aosta and also coming close to winning (finishing second, in this case) at the Tour de l'Avenir on two separate occasions.

But after two years in the American team, he did not manage to perform at the level that was hoped of him. In 2022 he took the step down to ProTeam level with Team Arkéa Samsic, which was promoted to World Tour level one year later. The Luxembourger raced the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España on three occasions.

"Cycling gave me friendships for life, great memories, and also many hard moments. There were sacrifices, injuries, doubts, pain, and difficult days — but I always gave everything I had," he assures. "I leave this sport with no regrets, only gratitude and many memories. I could not have done this alone. Thank you to the FSCL, COSL, LIHPS, Gary and Altus Sports, and to everyone who believed in me and supported me along the way".

A day after the retirement announcement of Simon Yates, Ries' departure from the sport further cements the increasingly high demands of the sport, which are contributing to a trend where riders are retiring earlier and earlier.

"A special thank you to my family and friends for your endless support and belief in me. Thank you also to all my teammates over the years for all the moments we shared on the road. Now one chapter ends, and a new one begins — exciting and full of new opportunities. Thank you to everyone who was part of this journey".