Marcel Kittel has announced his retirement from professional cycling, saying: `I have lost all motivation to keep torturing myself on a bike.` The 31-year-old German sprinter terminated his contract with Katusha-Alpecin in early May, saying he wanted to take time away from the sport to consider his future. He spent a few days at the Tour de France, with Jumbo-Visma reportedly keen to sign him. However, he confirmed his decision to retire in an interview with the weekend magazine of German news magazine Der Spiegel.ADVERTISEMENT `Pain defines the sport, the world in which you live,` Kittel said in a brief extract of the interview published on Friday. `I have lost all motivation to continue to torture myself on the bike.` Kittel will become a father in November and intends to study at University. `As a cyclist, you´re traveling 200 days a year, and I do not want to see my son grow up on Skype,` he said. `Family, friends, everything was too short, plus the permanent fatigue and the routine... I´ve realised this loss of quality of life more and more.` `A loss of quality of life` 89 victories
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
|
