The peloton looses one of it's rising stars as Alexys Brunel announces retirement at 23

Alexys Brunel has called it quits on his active cycling career. The Frenchman has requested the UAE Emirates team that his contract, which lasted through the end of 2023, be terminated.

"It is time to turn a page and focus on new challenges and experiences in life, I want to thank everyone at the UAE Emirates for the opportunities and support they have given me. It has been a pleasure to be part of this great team, but it is now time for me to turn a new page," Brunel said. The news come as a shock to the cycling world, as Brunel had shown over the last few years to be a rising talent within the World Tour peloton

After coming up the ranks in Groupama - FDJ, he turned pro in 2020, where he immediately took a win at the Etoile de Bessèges on his second day with a World Tour contract. Brunel was a rouler and classics rider, winner of the under-23 Paris-Tours in his younger days, and his talent earned him a move to UAE Team Emirates this season.

Although results had not been too flashy, nothing would indicate Brunel was preparing for retirement. "We still believe Alexys has a huge potential and we already saw glimpses of it in the first part of this season, but we are talking about human beings and not just a cyclist," Mauro Gianetti said. "We fully accept his decision to end his career as a professional cyclist. We wish Alexys all the best in his future plans".