Berlin (AFP)
The German cyclist Marcel Kittel, winner of fourteen stages of the Tour de France, announced Friday to end his career at age 31, not wanting to "torture himself on a bike".
"The suffering defines the sport and the world you live in. I lost all motivation to torture myself on a bike," says Spiegel the native of Arnstadt (Thuringia).
Kittel, lacking results and running out of shape for a few months, before announced in May leave the Katusha-Alpecin training to "take a break in his career".
He said he felt "exhausted" and "not able" to "train and race at the highest level".
German cyclist having won the most stages on the Tour de France, Kittel has also won four times on the Giro and has won 91 since his professional debut.
"I had too little time to give to my family, my friends, in addition to that, there was this constant fatigue and routine, and I realized more and more that it was affecting my quality of life," he continues.
"As a cyclist, you are on the road 200 days a year, I would not like to see my son grow up via Skype," said the one who became a father last November.
During his career, Kittel has worn the colors of Argos-Shimano, Etixx-Quick Step and Katusha-Alpecin.
© 2019 AFP