Former world scratch race champion Martyn Irvine has announced his retirement from cycling. The Irishman explained that he arrived at the decision after struggling to regain his best form over the past year.
“I’m a bit older these days and I’ve had a few bumps and knocks and broken a few things. And the last year, anyone who follows cycling will know that I have been under-performing,” Irvine told RTÉ Sport.
"Physically, I’m still there, I’m not any weaker and I can still do the job but honestly my head is just drifting off, and the way I used to race, it was tearing me apart and I don’t like doing that anymore. For the last six months, it’s been creeping into my mind and I think I just bit the bullet and just made the decision, and I’m happy about it. I’m not scared stiff; it just feels right."
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A native of Newtownards in County Down, Irvine won the scratch race at the 2013 World Track Championships in Minsk on the same day he claimed silver in the individual pursuit. 2013 also saw Irvine claim a bronze medal in the omnium at the European Championships, and he added silver in the scratch race at the 2014 Worlds in Cali.
Irvine combined road and track duty for much of his career, and his teams included Giant-Kenda, UnitedHealthcare and Madison Genesis.
Irvine endured a spate of crashes and injuries in recent seasons, however, and with qualification for the Rio 2016 Olympics effectively beyond him, he opted to call time on his career at the age of 30.
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