“A new adventure is about to begin, a new chapter in my life. » In a video posted on the social network Instagram and which retraces the most beautiful moments of his career, cyclist Pierre Rolland announced that he was retiring from sport on Tuesday, December 13.
Thank you for everything. https://t.co/fDeBll4rWK
“I have been a professional cyclist for sixteen years now. I participated thirteen times in the Tour de France, the Giro, the Vuelta. I have traveled hundreds of thousands of kilometers in France and all over the world. I would have liked the adventure to continue a little longer. But destiny decided otherwise “explained the 36-year-old climber, whose first pedal strokes date back to 2006 when he was a trainee with the Crédit Agricole team.
Pierre Rolland was in theory to run at least one additional season under the colors of the B&B Hotels formation, joined in 2019. But, the future of the team is uncertain, due to lack of funding, to the point that his manager, Jérôme Pineau, decided to release its runners from any contractual obligation at the beginning of the month.
“Bonus years”
“I’m happy to end my career with a good level, rather than finishing at the back of the pack, dragging my misery. I still felt capable of doing one, two or even three years, physically. But they were “bonus” years, just like this 2022 season was in my eyes., argued the native of Gien (Loiret) to Eurosport.
Pierre Rolland notably won the Alpe-d’Huez stage (Isère) on the 2011 Tour and another in La Toussuire (Savoie), the following year, before triumphing on a stage of the Giro in Canazei in 2017 Sa 4e place in the general classification of the Giro d’Italia in 2014 will remain his best result in a three-week race.
The sequel is coming ” full[e] of projects » : “I will keep you informed quickly of my future. In a few weeks or a few months, I’ll tell you what the rest of my life will be like. »