Polish rider Maciej Bodnar (TotalEnergies) announced he is ending his professional career in a post on Instagram on Tuesday.
The 38-year-old started his career with the Liquigas team in 2007 but spent the majority of his racing career in service of Peter Sagan, from the three-time world champion’s first year in the WorldTour in 2010 through to the end of both riders’ careers this season with Team TotalEnergies.
In his announcement, Bodnar called his time with Sagan “an unforgettable experience”.
“I’ve spent my entire professional career by the side of this great guy,” Bodnar wrote in a post on Twitter accompanied by photos of Sagan.
“It’s been 14 years, with ups and downs, but in the end, we had a blast, it was an unforgettable experience! I don’t regret one single moment, we really enjoyed it!”
Sagan stopped his road career this season to focus on mountain biking with an eye on the Olympics in Paris next year. Another long-time member of Sagan’s entourage, Daniel Oss, announced his retirement earlier this year.
“There is a moment in the life of every athlete, which we all try not to think about for years, and it always touches everyone, there is never a good time. There is always something to achieve, to gain, to prove,” Bodnar wrote.
“Time to say ‘ciao’ after all. This current season was my last. I have been thinking about ending my career for a long time, and today, the moment has come to share it with you via [social] media.”
Bodnar highlighted the separation from family and loved ones as the biggest factor in his decision.
“I started cycling at the age of 12, and just two years later, I left my family home with thoughts of being a professional cyclist,” he wrote. “26 years of racing, including 17 years of professional sport …
“Cycling does not require sacrifices only from the cyclist. It also requires them, and perhaps above all, from our families. So now it’s time for family and loved ones.”
Bodnar then reflected on the stars he supported during his career.
“I spent my career mainly as a ‘gregario’, a support rider, and I was lucky enough to ride and help the best. Ivan Basso, Alberto Contador, Vincenzo Nibali, but most of all, Peter Sagan. But not only them. The team is not only about big names, and throughout my career, I tried to help every team and every rider as if each of them were World Champions.
“I’m very proud that I was part of the team when Michal Kwiatkowski became world champion in Ponferrada and when Rafał Majka won the bronze medal of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
“A big thank you to my teammates, coaches, directors, managers, and the entire staff from mechanics and soigneurs to doctors and office staff… Thanks to you, everything was easier.”
