Michael Morkov will retire at the end of 2024. Now this doesn't come as a complete surprise because as we know, the 39-year-old only joined Astana Qazaqstan ahead of this season with the aim to break the Tour de France stage victories record with Mark Cavendish. As this has been accomplished, there isn't much more to achieve for the experienced Dane anymore.
"Hello, all cycling friends. I want to share with you that I have decided that this year 2024 will be my last year as a professional bike rider," said Mørkøv in a video released by Astana.
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"I'm very proud of what I've achieved as a track cyclist, as a road cyclist, being a part of the biggest races in the world, being a part of some of the biggest teams as well. Being surrounded by great teammates and I’ve made a lot of friendships during the years."
"I'm very proud of what I got out of my talent, to be honest," he said. "I was never the most talented rider as a young rider, but I really managed to work really hard, and I feel I achieved all what I could achieve."
On the road, Mørkøv also had a modest success as a three-time Danish champion and Vuelta a Espana stage winner from 2013. But the Dane became mainly recognized as one of the world's best leadout riders in the later years of his career. After all, Cavendish himself owes much of his record to the cooperation with Mørkøv.
"I have to say that I have enjoyed this Tour much more than any other Tour because I really try to soak everything to me - the experience with Cav, taking an early decision, it just makes me enjoy this season a lot," said Mørkøv.
"Of course, I have a lot of big goals to achieve still in this Tour de France, at the Olympic Games, at the World Championships on the track in Ballerup in October," Mørkøv concluded. "But maybe it will only be at my very last race in Copenhagen that it will strike me that now it will really be the last time that I pin on my numbers."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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🇩🇰 VIDEO: @MichaelMorkov We are really proud and happy that the final year of your career you are spending with us, being part of the cycling history! You are great champion and great teammate, Michael! #AstanaQazaqstanTeam #AstanaIsMyTeam
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