Joaquim Rodríguez has announced his retirement from professional cycling. The Spanish rider had planned on racing with the Bahrain-Merida team next year, but will instead work as a technical staff member with the team.
During this year’s Tour de France, Rodríguez had said that he would retire at the end of the 2016 season. However in October, he announced that he would continue on for another season. In his statement announcing his retirement released yesterday, he said that that: “I am not prepared physically, and mentally, for a come back at 100%.”
Rodríguez started his career with the ONCE–Eroski team in 2001, and went on to race for Saunier Duval–Prodir, Caisse d’Epargne–Illes Balears before joining Team Katusha in 2010 where he spent the last seven years of his career.
Amongst his biggest one-day wins were Giro di Lombardia (2012, 2013), La Flèche Wallonne (2012) and the National Road Race Championships (2007).
Rodríguez also took stage wins in all three Grand Tours in addition to winning the Points classification in the Giro d’Italia in 2012 and both the Points and Mountains classifications in the Vuelta a España. He finished on the podium in all three grand Tours but never managed to win overall.
Rodríguez also won the Volta a Catalunya (2010, 2014), the Tour of the Basque Country (2015), Vuelta a Burgos (2011) and Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme (2004).
The statement from Rodríguez read as follows:
“After taking my time to think, and trying to come back to a working routine, I realised it is not possible for me. That’s why I have taken, with the help of my family and friends, the decision of not coming back to the competition.
“I would like to say thank you to all those supporters that pushed me to come back; I am honoured and you really made my decision a difficult one, but I believe it’s better not to come back if I am not sure of being able to do it at the top level.
“Of course, a big thank you also to the team Bahrain-Merida. They believed in me, they gave me all the facilities for a return, but I realised, speaking with them, that I am not prepared physically, and mentally, for a come back at 100%. I prefer to say this now, before the start of the new season, because the riders are the protagonists. They deserve the attention.
“I will work in the future for the team Baharain-Merida, trying to help and transmit all my experience to the young riders in the team. It is a big challenge, thank you.
“I hope I can continue as proud as I am with my 17 years of cycling career in my new role. Having that special feeling I have with cycling and cycling fans.
“And as I said when I said good bye in the past Tour the France, Thank you to cycling, you are, and always will be, the best thing that happened in my life.”
Thank you everyone
Joaquin Purito Rodriguez
he took a cheque to get Bahrain enough points for the contested WT place. ended his career as a cheat too
Sombrero to you, senor! You always gave it your all!