British riders 'proud' of Peter Kennaugh's decision to step away from cycling indefinitely
Owain Doull and Adam Blythe both said it was a brave decision for the Manxman to end his professional career
Pete Kennaugh (Bora-Hansgrohe) made a "brave" decision to stop his racing career early to focus on himself and his family, say fellow British riders.
Kennaugh, Olympic champion and two-time stage winner in the Critérium du Dauphiné, took n indefinite break from cycling last week, saying he needed to "rediscover happiness, motivation and enthusiasm."
"Brave is the right word. It's easy to get drawn in and carry on when you're not enjoying it," Owain Doull (Sky) told Cycling Weekly. "When you stop enjoying it it's the best thing to do.
>>> Sir Bradley Wiggins praises Peter Kennaugh after Brit announces break from cycling
"I'm super proud of him. It's not an easy thing to do when you've been doing it your whole life, for Pete since he was seven or eight years old. It's a brave thing to step away. To put your mental health and happiness first."
The 29-year-old also took a break in 2018 because he "felt quite down." He raced a full season afterwards, which included winning the Grand Prix Cerami. Five days ago, just after a few races this 2019 season, he pulled the brakes completely.
"Pete's not someone who's just going through the motions, that was maybe one of the factors. He's been a British champion, Olympic champion, stages in the Dauphiné... Won a lot of big races," Doull said.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
"If you're not getting that same satisfaction out of it, being at that level that you know you're capable of and you enjoy racing at the front and winning... That's almost like a testament to Pete's character, that if he's not at his best or 100 per cent then he doesn't want to do it. And that's a good sign."
"The main thing is happiness in life, everyone wants to be happy and live their lives," Adam Blythe (Lotto-Soudal) explained. "I think Pete was struggling and just wanted to be happy again with his family.
"It was a brave decision. There's a lot more to life than just sport. For Pete, being a cyclist doesn't make who he is. For a lot of people it's that way.
"If you have families you have to make tough decisions. For everyone in life, happiness is something you can't buy. You might be the richest guy in the world, but if you are unhappy then it doesn't make a difference."
Doull and Blythe both said that all riders struggle at times in tough periods. It can cause doubts about what they are doing in a focused and high-tension sport.
"At the end of the day, it's a hard sport, you race a lot, you're away a lot, especially with Pete having a young family," Doull added.
"It looks like an easy life, but it's far from it. If you asked any pro, everyone would have their bad periods or question whether they want to carry on doing this any more."
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
Forget distance covered, these are the key stats to note in your Strava Year in Sport
We asked a coach how to best analyse our end of year Strava data
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'She should show a bit more respect' - Lotte Kopecky responds to Demi Vollering comments
The pair seemingly had one last fractious year together at SD Worx-Protime in 2024
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Pete Kennaugh joins Astana Qazaqstan as British influx continues
The 35-year-old will be a DS at the Kazakh team
By Adam Becket Published
-
Pete Kennaugh pays tribute to late Junior Tour of Wales founder John Richards
Former JTOW mountains winner and podium finisher praises warm-hearted man who set the benchmark
By James Shrubsall Published
-
Peter Kennaugh says he needs to find 'happiness and enthusiasm’ as he takes indefinite break
Peter Kennaugh says he needs to “rediscover happiness, motivation and enthusiasm” as he takes an indefinite break from professional cycling.
By Alex Ballinger Published
-
Peter Kennaugh says he's 'coming back slowly but surely' after time off this season
Pete Kennaugh (Bora-Hansgrohe) says he is "coming back slowly but surely" after a break during the 2018 season.
By Gregor Brown Published
-
Michael Matthews wins GP de Québec despite long-range attack from Peter Kennaugh
Matthews beats Greg Van Avermaet and Jasper Stuyven in the one-day race in Canada
By Stephen Puddicombe Published
-
Pete Kennaugh opens up about early-season struggles as he aims for Tour de France spot
Bora-Hansgrohe Brit opens up ahead of his return to racing at the Critérium du Dauphiné
By Paul Knott Published
-
Peter Sagan heads strong Bora-Hansgrohe line-up for Tour Down Under, joining Kennaugh and Bennett
World champion Peter Sagan arrives in Australia for the Tour Down Under and will join new team-mate Peter Kennaugh in the WorldTour opener
By Nigel Wynn Published
-
Cavendish and Kennaugh fight on at London Six Day as Aussie pair take overall lead
The Manx pairing dropped down to fifth in the standings
By Richard Windsor Published