Tour de France stage winner considering retirement at 29, might 'sell cheese in Japan'

Tour de France and Giro d'Italia stage winner Victor Lafay is considering retirement, being without a contract for 2026, and might "sell cheese in Japan" after pro cycling.

The Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale rider revealed to journalist Daniel Benson at the Tour of Britain Men that he is thinking about stepping off the bike.

"I don’t know yet for 2026," Lafay explained. "I’m not sure if I’ll race again next year. I’ve not decided yet, but with these two years I’ve had a lot of time to decide on what I’d do after cycling, and I think that I’m okay to stop now. I’m happy to stop. I will take a few weeks, and I want to decide when I’m in good shape, but now it’s not good because I’m sick. After a good race, I’ll decide."

The 29-year-old, then riding for Cofidis, won a memorable stage of the Tour de France in San Sébastián in 2023, surprising the favourites for a sprint, clipping off the front with a kilometre to go and winning ahead of Wout van Aert. Two years previously, Lafay won stage eight of the Giro d'Italia in Guardia Sanframondi.

His Tour success led to a move to Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale at the beginning of 2024, but illness and injury has prevented him from reaching his top form in the past two seasons. He has raced 60 times since the move, with no renewal offer forthcoming from his current team presently.

In its place, an enthusiasm for a life outside of cycling has grown.

"I’m 29, I’m not 19 like these young guys," Lafay told Benson. "Cycling has changed a lot in these years. I did this all my life since I was five, and there’s something else to do. We risk our lives cycling, and I have a lot of things to do out of cycling. First, I want to travel but really enjoy it, not like how we travel now in countries and never see anything.

"Also, I want to do other sports. I have a lot of ideas for work that I’d like to do after. Sell cheese in Japan, for example. Because I’m a cheese lover. I have a lot of good ideas and I know that the future will be really good."

Lafay is not the only professional to retire early this year; last week, XDS Astana rider Ide Schelling said he was stepping off the bike because he couldn't match the high level of the peloton these days.