Israeli cyclist Guy Niv (28), who made history as the first Israeli cyclist to compete in the Tour de France - and holds the record for Israeli appearances in the world's biggest races - has decided to end his career as a professional cyclist.
"This is the most difficult decision I have made in my life, but something in me went off," Niv explained his decision, which he communicated to the heads of his "Israel Premier Tech" group.
"I know that this will probably come as a complete surprise to quite a few people, but the people closest to me know that this has been brewing for me for a long time, Niv clarifies, "There are several reasons for the decision, but the main one is the fact that I no longer have the drive and motivation necessary to reach the next peaks that I wanted to achieve in my career.
"I admit that I always thought that I would decide to retire when I felt that I had reached absolute exhaustion and that I had nowhere else to progress, but I have not reached this point, on the contrary. My progress graph is still on the rise, and just two months ago I completed my best Grand Tour performance in the Tour de France - and yet, I I believe it's time for me to leave.
"Something has turned off in me in the last year. I don't enjoy myself as much as I used to, and I don't feel satisfied and happy enough in this life. I always knew why I was involved in a sport that is probably the most difficult and demanding in the world. I had the North Star that helped me work the hardest of all, to get up in the morning after every A loss or a crisis, and knowing inside of me that I will come back up and probably even better than I was before.
As soon as I lost this ability, and I can no longer find the reason to continue, I realized it was time to end this chapter."
Guy Niv closes a relatively short but extraordinary and inspiring professional career.
The boy from the Atzmon settlement in the north grew up and competed as a mountain biker and was even a member of the Israeli national team, but six years ago, at the age of 22, he decided to make a sharp transition to road cycling as part of the "Israel Cycling Academic" development group, and in less than a year found himself leaping to the Giro d'Italia Historical Jerusalem.
Niv concludes: "It was a fascinating journey for me. The places I've been, the people I've had the privilege of working with along the way, and the personal and group experiences - all of these have been woven into countless moments that I will keep with me forever."
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