Marc Goos retires from cycling at 26
Oct 21 2017 05:08 am CET
SUBSCRIBE TO RSS FEEDSDutch rider Marc Goos has announced his retirement from cycling. After an injury, he had trouble returning to the highest level and couldn't find a contract for the 2018 season.
In the 2014 Tour de Suisse, the rider fell on his hip during a crash at a time trial, and after months of discomfort, doctors didn't give him the best of news. "My cycling career contains many highlights, but also some lows," said the rider in a Facebook message. "A crash during the Tour de Suisse caused a heavy hip injury. The prognosis was that I would not be able to walk without pain.
"The team director and the team doctor of Lotto-Jumbo had forbidden a surgery. I decided myself to choose for a surgery and this choice was the only right one. Now I can walk without pain and I am able to ride my bike as fast as before the injury. This is the biggest victory in my career!"
Goos left the team and after recovering from the procedure, he started riding at a lower level in a different squad. "The past season I rode for Sunweb Development were it was impossible for me to ride enough races to be ready to compete against the younger talents," he explained. "For me, it was almost impossible to return to the World Tour. However, it makes me very proud when I look back at the highlights of my career.
"Step by step from my club De Jonge Renner, Jo Piels, Rabobank, I succeeded in my dream to become a professional cyclist. I rode big races like Liege-Bastogne-Liege, il Lombardia and the Giro d’Italia. To pass the top of the Stelvio in the 3rd week of the Giro with the 20 best riders still gives me goosebumps!"
The rider stated that he will now change careers to the refrigeration industry but cycling will always stay with him. "Cycling has a special place in my heart. I will not ride with a race number anymore, but my love for the bike will not change. I quit my cycling career with my head up and I am looking forward to my future!"
