The professional peloton lost dozens of riders to retirement in 2018, with some hanging up their wheels after long, successful careers, some after years as loyal domestiques, and others stopping even though they have a few good seasons left.
Cyclingnews looks back on five notable retirements from the year.
Damiano Cunego, 37
The 2004 Giro d'Italia champion ended his career rather quietly in June, dropping out of the Italian national championships road race. It wasn't the finale 'Il Piccolo Principe' had hoped for: Damiano Cunego wanted to end his career with one last Giro d'Italia, but his Nippo-Vini Fantini squad was not invited by the race organisers.
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"Of course, I've got good memories of the Giro. I won there in 2004, and I've been fourth and fifth there. I've got good memories. This year it could have been important to end my career with that race but, unfortunately, someone didn't give us an invitation. I don't know why. I think it was just a business choice," Cunego told Cyclingnews at the Tour de Suisse.
Cunego's last few years at the Pro Continental level were fairly anonymous, with only a stage win at the Tour of Qinghai Lake in 2017 to his name, but the Italian's latter years should by no means overshadow the sparkling start to his career.
A junior world champion in 1999, Cunego turned professional with Saeco in 2002 and was a key helper for Gilberto Simoni in his victory at the Giro d'Italia the following year. The following season, Cunego took the maglia rosa from Simoni on stage 7 of the 2004 Giro with a stage win in Montevergine. Although he gave up the jersey to Yaroslav Popovych and the Saeco team leadership to Simoni after a 52km time trial, Cunego attacked to regain the jersey on the final climb of stage 16.
Simon Gerrans, 38
Sylvain Chavanel, 39
Giorgia Bronzini, 35
Megan Guarnier, 33
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/five-notable-retirees-from-2018
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