Paris-Roubaix and Tour of Flanders winner Niki Terpstra announces retirement from pro cycling

After 20 seasons in the pro peloton, Niki Terpstra has announced that 2022 will be his final year and that he will be retiring at the end of the season.

“Despite opportunities to continue, it is time to close this beautiful chapter and focus on new goals on and off the bike," Terpstra said in a video announcement. The decision doesn't come as a surprise as last year there were already rumours that the veteran could be retiring, but the arrival of Peter Sagan and his entourage saw the Dutchman interested in continuing his career for another year. He's played a support role mainly throughout the classics block this year, which will be his last.

Terpstra has many times been a controversial figure, saying "it has been a career with extreme highs and lows" which included wins at Paris-Roubaix in 2014, the Tour des Flandres in 2018 and several other high-level wins and results that came mostly through a large career in the Quick-Step's famous cobbled classics block. He has signed with TotalEnergies in 2019 where he will be concluding his stint in the peloton.

Terpstra is yet to race at least three Belgian semi-classics throughout the coming month, however he is likely to be receiving tributes throughout these as they will be some of his last races as a pro.