BRITON Simon Yates has brought his professional cycling career to a close at the age of 33, with his Visma-Lease a Bike team confirming his retirement on Wednesday.

The decision comes just months after one of the defining moments of his career, when Yates claimed victory at the Giro d’Italia last May. The timing has surprised many within the sport, not least because the two-time Grand Tour winner steps away while still competing and winning at the highest level.

Yates, the twin brother of fellow professional Adam Yates, leaves the peloton with a career that combined major success across cycling’s biggest races with a reputation for quiet determination and resilience.

“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,” Yates said in a team statement.

“They taught me resilience and patience, and made the successes mean even more.”

Grand Tour success and a career-defining Giro

Yates first announced himself as a Grand Tour contender with his victory at the Vuelta a España in 2018. Over the course of his career, he went on to record stage wins across all three Grand Tours, including two at the Vuelta and three at the Tour de France, where his best general classification finish was fourth in 2023.

His final Grand Tour triumph came at the 2025 Giro d’Italia, a race that would come to define his career narrative. Riding for Visma-Lease a Bike, Yates produced a decisive performance late in the race to secure overall victory, adding a second Grand Tour title to his palmarès.

Grischa Niermann, Visma-Lease a Bike’s head of racing, highlighted the significance of that achievement.

“[Winning the Giro d’Italia] 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,” Niermann said.

“It is a shame that he is stopping now, but he does so at an absolute high point.”

An unusual timing, a considered decision

Yates’s retirement was confirmed on January 7, 2026, and takes effect immediately. The timing is notable, coming at the start of a new season when teams are typically deep into training camps and preparations.

“This may come as a surprise to many, but it is not a decision I have made lightly,” Yates said.

“I have been thinking about it for a long time, and it now feels like the right moment to step away from the sport.”

He also reflected on his career in a social media post, writing that he felt “deep pride and a sense of peace” with his decision, adding: “This chapter has given me more than I ever imagined. Thank you for the journey.”

The physical toll of elite racing

While the timing has drawn attention, the demands of professional cycling offer context to the decision. Yates’s career included several significant injuries, including a broken shoulder at 19, a fractured collarbone two years later, a heavy crash that forced him out of the 2021 Tour de France, and a knee injury that ended his 2022 Giro d’Italia.

Former Tour de France winner Alberto Contador said he was not entirely surprised by the retirement, even if the timing was unexpected.

“From a sporting perspective, he has accomplished all his objectives,” Contador told TNT Sports.

“For 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, you have to be aware you are a professional cyclist. There are a lot of crashes and sometimes that can also be a factor in making you think.”

From the track to the world’s biggest races

Before establishing himself on the road, Yates began his elite career on the track. He won the points race gold medal at the 2013 World Championships in Minsk, a result that underlined his versatility before his full transition to road racing.

He turned professional in 2014 with Orica-GreenEdge, the team now known as Jayco-AlUla, and spent the majority of his career there before joining Visma-Lease a Bike ahead of the 2025 season.

Longtime Orica team manager Matt White once described Yates as a rider who never chased attention, calling him a “no frills” champion who simply loved racing.

A legacy of resilience and redemption

Yates’s career spanned 11 years at the top level and is marked by consistency, perseverance and the ability to deliver when it mattered most. His final Giro d’Italia victory, secured years after earlier Grand Tour disappointments, stands as a fitting closing chapter.

As Niermann observed after that success, “In the Giro, he peaked at a moment when almost no-one expected him to be able to win anymore, which truly characterises him as a rider.”

Simon Yates leaves professional cycling as a reigning Grand Tour champion, departing on his own terms and at the height of his powers, with a legacy built on courage, determination, resilience, quiet excellence and enduring class.