Dan Martin announces he is retiring from professional cycling

The Irish rider, who has won five Grand Tour stages, has announced he will retire to focus on other projects and his family

Dan Martin won Stage 17 of the 2021 Giro d’Italia to complete the set of stage wins in each of the three Grand Tours (AFP/Getty Images)

After 14 seasons as a professional cyclist, Dan Martin will retire at the end of October.

The Irishman has won five Grand Tour stages throughout his career including an excellent win in this year’s Giro d’Italia on Stage 17 up the Sega di Ala, joining the ranks of those to have achieved a win in each of the three Grand Tours. He has also won stage races such as the Volta a Catalunya (2013) and two of the monuments in Liege–Bastogne–Liege (2013) and Il Lombardia (2014).

But the 35-year-old has decided that, although he is still competitive, it is time to “call it a day”, ending his career at Israel Start-Up Nation where he will finish his final races of the season – including the Tour of Britain, which starts on Sunday.

Martin wrote in a statement: “Though this huge decision has taken much thought, I feel that the time is right to move on as I want to achieve so many other things in life. In some ways, deciding to stop has been challenging and complex; it’s perhaps one of the biggest and most important decisions I have ever made; and in other ways, it’s been easy. Though I am still competitive, I’ve realised that racing has lost the fun element: the whole reason I race in the first place.”

The climber also says he is he has found a sense of “purpose and fun in developing companies and working within businesses”. This led to Rubix Ventures, a company he co-founded to help athletes invest in growth companies.

Martin wrote: “I’m also looking forward to being more present as a father and husband at home and doing some simple things that are not compatible with the requirements of a cycling career, like going for a run with my wife.

“I am at a point where I’m ready to take on some exciting new challenges in life. I feel fortunate to be deciding when I retire. I am genuinely grateful for the support of family, friends, fans, and so many cycling teammates and colleagues who have supported me throughout my career. A big thank you to my current team, Israel Start-Up Nation and all the staff and riders for making these past two seasons one of the most enjoyable and successful periods in my career.”

Martin will line up alongside teammates such as Andre Greipel and Britain’s Alex Dowsett at the start of the Tour of Britain on Sunday in Penzance to begin what will be one of his last races as a professional rider.

“With the finish line in view,” he wrote. “I’ve dug into training over the last few weeks and am looking forward to having an impact in my final few races and hopefully ending this period of my life in style.”