"The risks we take... It's madness" - Simon Pellaud 'bitter' and 'hurt' questions viability of pro cycling after Tudor exit

Simon Pellaud has pulled some notable results out the bag over the course of his career, riding for teams such as IAM Cycling, Trek - Segafredo and most recently, the Tudor Pro Cycling Team. With his time at the latter set to end though, his pro career is uncertain, although given the rigours of the modern sport, the Swiss is also unsure how long pro cycling itself could last. 

"It hurt me to be pushed to the exit because I didn't expect it," he explained recently in conversation with Le Matin. "I got a little blow. And at the same time I feel relieved of a burden. It's 50-50. I still feel a bit bitter, but I have accepted my fate. I remained on good terms with Tudor."

As mentioned though, Pellaud has concerns for the entire sport, not just his own place in it going forward. "The World Tour no longer makes me dream, I draw a line under it. I honestly wonder if cycling as it has become is viable in the long term," he adds. "The level, the pace, the risks we take... It's madness. The daily life you have to live to exist in the elite doesn't suit me. So much is demanded that there is no room for anything other than cycling. The new generations have no life."

There have indeed been much discussions recently over topics such as the rising number of high impact crashes, the ever-growing intensity of the calendar, and the potential routes to best stop such instances from taking more cyclist's lives over recent months. The ultimate end result and fix for any issues remains unclear though, despite Pellaud not being the first rider to speak out.

As for Pellaud himself, the 32-year-old former Tour of Hainan stage winner is insistent that he still has more to give if a team came calling. "I still have a few good years ahead of me," he concludes determinedly.