'I step away from professional cycling with deep pride and a sense of peace' – Simon Yates announces surprise retirement

Simon Yates has announced his shock retirement from professional cycling with immediate effect.

The reigning Giro d'Italia champion made the announcement via his team, Visma-Lease a Bike, on Wednesday afternoon. He is one of two British riders to win multiple Grand Tours, alongside Chris Froome.

The 33-year-old, winner of the Vuelta a España in 2018 and stage victories at the Giro, Tour de France and Vuelta, was believed to have a contract for at least 2026, but has decided to step off the bike. In a 13-year career, he won 36 races, which also included Tirreno-Adriatico and multiple stages at Paris-Nice.

In a letter posted on social media, Yates said: "I have made the decision to retire from professional cycling.


"This may come as a surprise to many, but it is not a decision I have made lightly. I have been thinking about it for a long time, and it now feels like the right moment to step away from the sport.


"Cycling has been part of my life for as long as I can remember," he continued. "From racing on the track at the Manchester Velodrome, to competing and winning on the biggest stage and representing my country at the Olympic Games, it has shaped every chapter of my life.


"I am deeply proud of what I have managed to achieve and equally grateful for the lessons that came with it. While the victories will always stand out, the harder days and setbacks were just as important. They taught me resilience and patience, and made the successes mean even more.


"To everyone who has supported me along the way, from the staff to my teammates, your unwavering belief and loyalty made it possible for me to realise my own dreams," Yates wrote. "Whenever I doubted myself, you never did. Thank you.


"To my team, Visma–Lease a Bike, thank you for your understanding and support of my decision to stop now. You gave me the opportunity to rewrite my history, and through trust and belief, we did it together. Thank you.


"To my family, you shared the sacrifices that came with this sport. The absences and missed birthdays were never easy, yet you understood what this journey meant to me and supported it wholeheartedly. I owe you more than I can ever properly express. Thank you.


He concluded: "I step away from professional cycling with deep pride and a sense of peace. This chapter has given me more than I ever imagined. Memories and moments that will stay with me long after the racing ends and for whatever comes next.

Thank you for the journey."

Visma's head of racing, Grischa Niermann said: "With Simon, we won the Giro d’Italia last year, an incredibly special achievement for both him and the team. That was one of the major goals of the season, for us as a team and for Simon personally. The fact that he also went on to win a stage in the Tour de France underlines his class. It is a shame that he is stopping now, but he does so at an absolute high point.

"Simon was an exceptional climber and general classification rider who always delivered when it mattered most. In the Giro, he peaked at a moment when almost no one expected him to be able to win anymore, which truly characterizes him as a rider."

Yates, from Bury in the northwest of England, began racing through is club, Bury Clarion, before joining what was then Orica–GreenEDGE in 2014 with his twin brother Adam. He spent 11 years with the Australian squad, which became Jayco AlUla, before moving to Visma-Lease a Bike for 2025, which turned out to be his last year as a pro cyclist.

During his time at GreenEDGE, Yates won stages at all three Grand Tours, including three at the 2018 Giro as he mounted a famous charge for overall victory. This fell short, as he heartbreakingly lost the pink jersey to Chris Froome on stage 19, but he bounced back, winning that year's Vuelta. Separately, in 2016 he was given a reduced four-month suspension from competition by the UCI  for a 'non-intentional' violation after a positive test for Terbutaline.

He returned to the Giro in 2025 with his new team, and had a redemptive day on the Colle delle Finestre, riding away to become only the third British winner of the Italian Grand Tour.

The 33-year-old's last victory was stage 10 of last year's Tour de France, and his final race was the GP de Montréal in September. As well as his road success, he was also a world champion on the track, winning the points race at the 2013 Track World Championships.