Fabian Cancellara (Trek-Segafredo) insists that it is the right time for him to retire, despite still being competitive in his beloved cobbled Classics, having finished second at the Tour of Flanders.
The three-time Flanders winner waved goodbye to fans as he crossed the line 25 seconds behind winner Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) on Sunday.
And while many are calling on Cancellara to stay on for one more season, the Swiss believes he is making the right decision to say his farewells now.
"There’s not a single part of me that doesn’t want to retire at the end of the season," Cancellara said at a press conference. "It’s time to go. I think it’s good that I’m retiring when I want to, not because of health, not because of bad health, not because of not being able to find a new contract.
"I’m glad it’s this way as it allows me to say proper goodbyes, like I did at Flanders, and like I will at Roubaix next Sunday."
Cancellara, 35, goes into Sunday's Paris-Roubaix as one of the favourites, alongside Sagan and Sep Vanmarcke (LottoNL-Jumbo), who also finished on the podium in Flanders.
"I have great memories of Roubaix, and I’m sad that this will be my last one, so I will be ready to fight more than ever and will never give up. It will be a battle to the finish line," the three-time winner said.
"It was hard to say goodbye to Flanders, but I’m sure it will be harder later. For now I am just focussed on Roubaix. I’ve been preparing for this race for weeks and months, so need to make sure I will make it a good farewell."
