LONDON (AP) — British cyclist Luke Rowe, who played a role in five Tour de France victories for three different leaders, will retire at the end of the season, his Ineos Grenadiers team said Friday.
The 34-year-old Rowe, a good classic rider, has been with the team which was previously known as Sky since 2012.
He took part in eight consecutive editions of the Tour, helping Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal to victory, often in the role of road captain.
Rowe had signed a new 2-year contract to remain with Ineos Grenadiers through to 2025 but decided to bring forward his retirement by a season after getting injured in a crash during the E3 Saxo Classic in March.
“I’ve had an amazing career and I have absolutely no regrets,” he said. “But the last 18 months have been testing in different ways and with this latest crash and resulting injury, it just feels like now is the right time to bow out, head home to Wales and spend a bit more time with my family.”
Rowe says he still hopes to race again this year, “with the Tour of Britain being my dream race to end on.”
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