Ted King Announces 2015 Will Be His Last In Pro Peloton

RonB
RonB Posts: 3,984
edited April 2015 in Pro race
From @iamtedking ...

"Ted King has announced today that the current season will be his final as a professional cyclist. The 32 year old started his European campaign in 2009 and is currently in his seventh European professional season as a member of the Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team.

“I’ll forever love this sport and consider myself grateful to have earned such an international career,” King said. After racing domestically for three years with Bissell, King made the leap to Europe with the Cervélo TestTeam in 2009 before joining Cannondale-Liquigas in 2011.

During his professional career Ted raced in the sport’s biggest events including the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, World Championships, and Monuments such as Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders.

King says he will forever cherish his first-time experiences such as his first time on the Roubaix Velodrome, his first Grand Tour, his first victory, and his first World Championships wearing the red, white, and blue of the United States. “I can picture each of these vividly and that’s something I’ll value forever.”

“And I’m grateful to spend my last pro season on an American team with Cannondale-Garmin. Across the board I’m extremely happy here — my teammates, the directors, sponsors, camaraderie, and obviously the fans are all greater than I could have expected. It may seem like an odd contrast to decide to retire now when things are at such a high point, but I’m ready to tackle a new phase. That being said, I’m more inspired to thrive in the peloton than ever before and finish the season in the greatest way possible.”

While leaving the professional ranks at the end of the current season, King plans to remain actively involved in cycling with the same vigor that drew him to it.

“Though I’m stepping away from pro racing at the end of the season, I still love riding my bike and will continue to do plenty of that.” said King. “Where early season meant the Spring Classics I’ll now look for classic adventures with the bike very much at its center. Additionally, I’ll be even more involved with the Krempels King of the Road Challenge and similar social, environmental, health, and causes related to the bike.”

King will also turn his attention to UnTapped, the energy company he co-founded in 2014."

Comments

  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    Likely to figure in the Cannondale - Garmin squad for the upcoming Tour of California and the Giro d'Italia, but probably best remembered in these parts for the unfortunate way he missed the cut during Stage 4 (TTT in Nice) of the 2013 TdF.
  • This has got to be the most obscure of the "domestique cult figures announce their retirements", hasn't it?

    I mean, at least Jens and David Millar did a few Tours between them
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    I.. I really wish I could write something about how much I cared about this news, haha.
  • LeePaton
    LeePaton Posts: 353
    Who?
    It's not so much about winning, I just hate losing.
  • mm1
    mm1 Posts: 1,063
    10 years a pro, writes an ok blog www.iamtedking.com what's not to like?
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,786
    He became slightly known when he was DQ'd from the Tour after finishing outside the time limit on a TT. He was just a few seconds outside despite some quite bad injuries from the previous stage, plus he family were there to watch. That's all i know about him...
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    Jeremy Roy will be disappointed :(
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    He's good on twitter too. And now I won't have to spend that millisecond of thinking Ben King or Ted King, which is the young one? each time one is mentioned in a race.

    Respect.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,196
    He's on Strava, posts some reasonably entertaining comments.
  • bristolpete
    bristolpete Posts: 2,255
    He raced the Red Bull hill race in Bristol in full on Garmin kit in 2012 and was there to give it his all, but he went out in the first round LOL. Met him however and seems like a nice kid and has achieved things on a bike we can only dream of. Fair play to him and I wish him well....

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZgMQDSlyXA