Bike racing seems to be seeing an unprecedented number of young riders hanging up their racing wheels at the moment, with the danger of the sport and psychological pressures often cited.
Now former Lotto rider Jonas Gregaard has added his name to the list, saying: "Choosing to retire hasn’t been easy, but it’s the right decision for many reasons. My body and my mental health have told me it’s time - and I’ve learned how important it is to listen to that."
The 29-year-old Dane joined the WorldTour as a stagiaire at Astana in 2018, before moving to Uno-X two years later and then Lotto in 2024.
"Choosing to retire hasn’t been easy, but it’s the right decision for many reasons," Gregaard wrote on social media. "Cycling demands everything, and right now I need to give something back to myself."
In response his Lotto team issued a statement of thanks, saying: "Thank you, Jonas, for colouring the past two seasons with a series of beautiful breakaway. Wherever your path leads, we wish you the best of luck in the future."
His decision to retire may have been shaped in part by his experience in 2023 when he won the mountains classification at Paris-Nice. Believing that left him in a strong position to renegotiate his contract, Gregaard waited to re-sign only for the team to lose interest. The expected merger between Intermarché and Lotto can't have helped his current situation.
"This industry is tough, and you have to get your elbows out and get on the bus to make a name for yourself…" he said at the time.
A team helper through and through, Gregaard's best results over the years have been fairly low-key, and include a top-10 on a Tour de France stage in 2023 and an 11th on GC at the Tour of Norway. His only wins came in 2017 (Kreiz Breizh Elites, GC) and 2016 (GP Himmerland Rundt).
Gregaard's retirement follows that of German rider Louis Kitzki, a former Zwift Academy winner who retired over safety concerns aged just 21, XDS-Astana's Ide Schelling, who said "I can't compete anymore" at 27, and Lizzie Holden (28) after "a difficult few years" in which she has struggled with confidence and injuries.
