Maarten Wynants announced his farewell on Saturday. The 38-year-old Belgian from Jumbo-Visma stops after Paris-Roubaix in the spring of 2021 and then continues as a team leader at the Dutch formation.
Wynants has been in Dutch service for years. At the end of 2011 he exchanged QuickStep for Rabobank, which in the following years transformed into Blanco, Belkin, Lotto-Jumbo and Jumbo-Visma. The servant never won an appealing course. His best performance was tenth place in Paris-Roubaix in 2012.
The oldest Belgian professional at the moment had in mind that he would quit at the end of this year, but that has changed because of the corona virus. Wynants wants to ride a ‘normal’ last spring.
“The season is not yet lost. That does not take away: I am still a bit hungry,” he says in The Telegraph. “I prefer not to stop like that, so I decided to drive another spring in 2021 to say goodbye in normal circumstances. Paris-Roubaix will be my last race. It is my favorite race, with great emotional value. I want Wout to lead van Aert or a team mate to victory. “
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Maarten Wynants in the spring of 2019. (Photo: Pro Shots)
‘Tour is not there right away’
Wynants rode the Tour de France five times, the Giro d’Italia once and the Vuelta a España twice, but he has not been active in a big round for the past three years. Also as a team leader he will not be seen in a big round for the time being.
“The intention is that I learn the profession as a team leader with the training team and so I can continue to grow. I will also do some smaller professional races, but the Tour is not right there.”
The cycling season will resume at the end of July and August 1 is the first appealing race this summer with Strade Bianche. Paris-Roubaix is on the calendar for October 25.
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