Marco Velo announces his retirement
The Giro di Lombardia, the final of the Italian fall classics, is a major end-season goal for many top cyclists and will prove to be the end-of-career goal for Quick Step rider Marco Velo. The 36-year old Italian cyclist joined Quick Step in 2009, the fifth
and final of his Pro teams in his 15-year career.
“I’ve been a part of this world since I was a kid...It’s an important chapter of my life that’s coming to a close. I have spectacular memories of my years on a bike. I’ve ridden beside some important champions, and at the same time I managed to achieve some
satisfying personal goals.”
Velo has only taken 10 victories in his professional career, since some of his most important racing has been in support of general classification riders. His top wins were three consecutive gold medals at the Italian national time-trial championships, in
1998, 1999 and 2000.
“My last two years with team Quick Step have been beautiful. I’d like to thank Patrick Lefevere, the staff and the team sponsors for all the support they’ve given me. I’d also like to thank all the many different people whom I’ve met during my career and
who stood by me, even in the hard times.”
Velo’s retirement is cycling’s second recent loss of one of the most appropriately named riders. ‘Velo’ means ‘bike’ in French and earned him the nickname ‘Marco Bici’ in his home country. He has announced retirement one day after Geert Omloop’s final race,
the Sluitingsprijs Putte Kapellen.
The 2003 Belgian national champion’s surname ‘Omloop’ is Belgian for ‘lap’ or ‘circuit.’ But the rider’s retirement didn’t come as planned, since he crashed four laps from the finish line of the Belgian race, ending up in the hospital with a ruptured kidney.
“I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way on a bicycle,” he said after he managed to cross the finish line after his serious crash. “To abandon my last race as a rider was not an option.”
Omloop, now retired, is the same age as Velo, and began his career the same year that the Italian did.
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