Peter Stetina has announced he is leaving the WorldTour to focus on gravel racing.
The 32-year-old revealed he will leave Trek-Segafredo at the end of 2019 to instead race in the emerging off-road scene, where he hopes he will be more fulfilled and more successful.
Stetina is one of the many US riders discovered by team boss Jonathan Vaughters who went on to ride at the highest level, alongside the likes of Taylor Phinney and Alex Howes.
The 32-year-old said: “Ultimately, this is a move of freshness, joy, progression and longevity.
“This is not a retirement as some traditionalists would think, rather I am throwing my entire self into the burgeoning world of gravel racing and being a bike racer across all tyre widths.”
Stetina started his career with Vaughters’ Continental outfit TIAA-CRED in 2006, winning multiple junior and under-23 national titles and making the step up to WorldTour with the Garmin-Transitions squad in 2010.
Since then Stetina’s career took him to eight Grand Tours and 12 Monuments, riding for BMC Racing before joining Trek in 2016, but the Boulder, Colorado-born rider never took a pro win.
News of his career change was broken by American cycling site VeloNews.
Stetina added: “While the initial steps to leave the WorldTour behind were scary, I am certain this is the right choice, it will be more fulfilling and I hope more successful.
“I love the vibe of these races: the solo battles within and with others, but the communal celebration afterwards, knowing we all conquered an odyssey individually and together.”
>>> An 82-year-old cyclist will become the first person in the country to ride 1million miles
Stetina’s off-road results have included victory in the 200km Belgian Waffle Ride, second in Dirty Kanza and fourth in the Leadville Traill 100, joining EF Education First riders Lachlan Morton and Alex Howes who have been racing their own ‘alternative calendar.’
Last month, Stetina’s compatriot and former team-mate Taylor Phinney announced his retirement from professional racing at the age of 29.
Stetina added that he will be announcing his 2020 sponsors in the coming months.
Alex is the digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter and now as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output.
Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) and joining CW in 2018, Alex has covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers.
Away from journalism, Alex is a national level time triallist, avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
-
-
'I would like at some point to maybe learn to take time out and enjoy the colour of life': Dave Brailsford reflects on the personal cost of success
Following cancer scare and heart surgery, the Ineos director of sport has reflected on the sacrifices he's made to win
-
Sam Bennett aims to be 'master of chaos' in sprints as he returns to Bora-Hansgrohe
Irishman to target Milan-San Remo and then Tour de France as he looks to move on from troubled 2021
-
'Not over yet': Concussion lingers for Ellen van Dijk after Paris-Roubaix crashes
The European road race champion fell multiple times in the first ever women's 'Hell of the North'
-
Trek-Segafredo reveal new men's and women's team kits for 2022
The American registered team has freshened up the old designs with a simple yet bright strip
-
'The amount of young female road riders in the United States has hit a brick wall': Experienced pro Tayler Wiles saddened at state of road cycling in America
Trek-Segafredo's Wiles wants to see a WorldTour event return to her home country
-
Elisa Longo Borghini takes a solo success in enthralling GP Plouay 2021
Aggression pays off for the Italian who made her winning move with 12km remaining
-
Trek-Segafredo win the opening team time trial at Giro Donne 2021 for the second year running
Ruth Winder will wear the maglia rosa in stage two after leading the winning squad across the line
-
Giulio Ciccone pulls out of Giro d'Italia 2021
The Italian was sitting sixth in GC before crashing on a descent during stage 17
-
George Bennett explains tactics from finale of Giro d'Italia stage 12
The New Zealand national champion is hunting for stages after falling out of GC contention
-
Five talking points from stage 12 of the Giro d'Italia 2021
Trek-Segafredo on the attack and a dispute between Bennett and Brambilla - don't miss this action
