Pernille Mathiesen retires due to mental health struggles

Pernille Mathiesen has put an end to her career due to mental health issues. The 24-year-old rider has ended her contract with the Cofidis women's team because she has lost the motivation and the pleasure in professional cycling. Mathiesen also raises the issue of mental health.

In an extensive message on Instagram, Mathiesen made her choice known. She says she has been having motivation problems for some time. "I had hopes that it would only last for a while and that the fun would come back, but that is not the case. I also had problems with my mental health and struggled with an eating disorder, because of the immense focus on body composition that there is in top sport," she writes.

"It's a very difficult decision. I have been a pro for six years with my dream teams, which are Virtu, Team Sunweb, Jumbo-Visma, and Cofidis," Mathiesen added. "I am proud of my achievements, my results and very proud of this decision to focus on my overall health," she said. Her only victory came in 2016 in the Czech race Gracia Orlova, where she won the fourth stage. She also came third in the Madrid Challenge in 2019.

The Danish rider had herself stand out as a talented time-trialist, scoring strong results along 2019 where she placed herself in second place at La Vuelta due to her strong performance in the ITT. "I want to thank Cofidis for their understanding and help in this situation. I signed a two-year contract with the team in September, and to break that contract now is not easy. It is now time to find happiness in other things in life. Because nothing is worth not being happy about," she concluded.