(Reuters) – Belgium’s former Olympic road race champion Greg Van Avermaet will retire at the end of the season, his AG2R CITROEN team said on Wednesday.
The 37-year-old classics specialist crowned his career at the 2016 Rio Olympics when he won a thrilling men’s race.
“A great adventure is ending and I’m a little sad. This decision was very difficult to make, but when I look in the rear view mirror, I am extremely proud of my achievements,” Van Avermaet said in a statement.
“I gave the best of myself every day, simply so I would have no regrets. Not only did I enjoy my victories, but also the path leading up to them.”
Van Avermaet spent 18 years on the professional circuit and collected 41 victories, including Paris-Roubaix in 2017, two stages on the Tour de France and one on the Vuelta Espana.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Ed Osmond)
