Team Jayco AlUla veteran retires - Australian rider raced for home team since its creation in 2012

Australian cycling has seen many of its figures retire from pro cycling over the past few days, and that includes one of the veterans of the peloton. Michael Hepburn has been part of Team Jayco AlUla since its very first year back in 2012, and has fulfilled his role in pro cycling perfectly right up until his retirement. 

The 34-year old has confirmed his departure from the world of cycling after new year, not having been renewed with the team and not finding a new contract in the peloton. Hepburn raced for Team Jayco AlUla throughout his entire career, with the team being created back in 2012. Previously, he had already spent two years in the Australian continental Team Jayco Skins, in which he teamed up with the likes of Rohan Dennis, Luke Durbridge and Michael Matthews. 

Hence, Hepburn is one of the riders who has been in the peloton for longest. From that 2012 team, only Luke Durbridge and Simon Clarke still race, although the latter will retire after the Tour Down Under and the Australian calendar. Hepburn in the meantime raced for the last time at the Japan Cup, concluding a season where he had 76 race days and where a 10th Giro d'Italia presence was concluded successfully. 

Hepburn was a two-time time trial national champion in Australia, in the 2014 and 2015 seasons. These were the best in his career, where he also took his other pro win which happened at the 2014 Tour of Qatar time trial. His prowess against the clock often proved key to supporting some of the teams victories in team time trials, as was the case at the 2014 opening stage at the Giro d'Italia where the Australian team rode to victory; adding to the 2019 Tirreno-Adriatico - as well at the Czech Tour of on two occasions. At age 34, he leaves the peloton with solid individual results himself, finishing ninth recently at the Giro d'Italia's individual time trial in Pisa, ahead of men like Wout van Aert, Primoz Roglic and Juan Ayuso.