“Ten years ago it was 70 percent work and 30 percent fun. Now it is 100 percent work” – Retiring Damiano Caruso gives blunt verdict on modern cycling

As he approaches the final chapter of a career that has spanned nearly two decades in the professional peloton, Damiano Caruso believes the nature of cycling has changed profoundly.

The Italian veteran, who will retire at the end of the season, spoke during Paris-Nice about the transformation he has witnessed during his years in the sport. Racing has become faster, preparation more precise, and the margins for success smaller than ever.

But for Caruso, the biggest shift has been how much of a rider’s life the sport now consumes. “Ten years ago it was 70 per cent work and 30 per cent fun. Now it is 100 per cent work. It is only work. I no longer find any playful elements in it,” Caruso said in comments reported by TV2.

Over the course of his career, cycling has moved deeper into the era of structured training programmes, altitude camps and constant monitoring of performance. The gains in speed and consistency across the peloton are clear, but the demands on riders have grown with them.

Caruso admits that sustaining the same level of motivation in such an environment becomes harder with time. “If you still want to do it and still enjoy your work, you can continue. It gets harder and harder every year, but I do not know if you can avoid burning out at some point. It is difficult to answer.”

While Caruso looks back on how the sport has evolved, younger riders entering the WorldTour are already navigating those same expectations.

Among them is Oscar Chamberlain of the Decathlon CMA CGM Team, who turned 21 earlier this year and is beginning to build his career at the highest level of the sport. “It is definitely a thing, and it is something you see on the WorldTour. The riders coming in are getting younger and younger, and I think careers are ending earlier and earlier,” Chamberlain said.

The Australian rider believes managing those pressures is crucial for the longevity of young professionals entering the peloton. “It is important for younger riders to take their time and not rush things, because we are still young and we have plenty of time.”

Together, the reflections from one of the peloton’s most experienced riders and one of its youngest highlight how the landscape of professional cycling continues to evolve, and how riders across generations are learning to adapt to the demands of the modern sport.