XDS-Astana rider Alexandre Vinokurov has announced his retirement at just 23, saying that he has ridden in fear and pain since a devastating training crash in March.
He was hit by a car while training in Greece and sustained a broken leg. Surgery to fix the break was successful but the incident evidently left Vinokurov – the son of XDS-Astana boss and former pro rider Alexandre Vinokourov – with psychological scars, as well as a degree of lasting physical pain.
His final race was the Tour de Langkawi in Malaysia, which finished on Sunday, won overall by Joris Delbove of TotalEnergies. Vinokurov finished 94th.
In a post on X headed up 'The Last Dance', he wrote: "7 months since my crash I raced, trained, with fear and pain. I'm blessed and proud to have helped the team achieve 4 wins and P4 in GC in my last race as a rider [which went to his twin brother Nicolas].
"Thanks to all the people who were there in this chapter," he added, "and see you soon in the next one."
In response his father – who won the 2012 Olympic Games road race in London – praised him, saying: "I'm proud of you my son, you still have a bright future ahead of you, and a new chapter! You're doing very well. This is a great school and you've gained a lot of experience."
The retirement of this young rider is another development that throws the dangers of professional bike racing into stark relief.
Earlier this year Dutch rider Ellen van Dijk announced her retirement, saying that fear of crashing was often in the forefront of her mind: "Because of the dangers of the sport I cannot enjoy road riding as much as I'd like to," she said.
Canadian pro Mike Woods called the sport "ludicrously dangerous" as he announced his retirement at the end of this season.
"I once asked staff on my team: how much would they have to be paid, to drive around in a car at 50 km/h, 70 days a year, for 4-5 hours per day, in a T-shirt and shorts, and twice per year—with no control over when or where—they would be pushed out of the car?" Woods wrote on his blog.
"Statistically, that is roughly how many times the average pro rider crashes per season. Not one of the staff said less than 500k, and when I asked how many years they would do it, not one said more than two."
Vinokourov Jr did not reveal whether or not he would stay on in bike racing in a different role, or moving away completely.
