“Not My Own Choice But” – 32-Year-Old Belgian Road Cyclist Bids Emotional, Forced Farewell to the Sport After 13 Years

The winding tracks of professional cycling often take unexpected turns bringing the cyclists’ career to an abrupt halt. For 32-year-old cyclist Guillaume Van Keirsbulck, the stalwart of the peloton, now stands at an unforeseen crossroads. The cyclist’s career has been woven through thirteen seasons of unrelenting determination, grit and glory. 

Meeting an abrupt and unchosen terminus, the narrative of Van Keirsbulck’s exit has shocked the cyclist fraternity. Amidst the cadence of victories and the pulse of the peloton, the Belgian rider finds himself bidding an untimely farewell to the sport.   

Van Keirsbulck’s unplanned departure

It was back in 2011, that Van Keirsbulck commenced his cycling journey under the banner of QuickStep. The cyclist traversed through the undulating landscapes of professional cycling that continued for six remarkable years with Patrick Lefevere’s team. His athletic prowess backed by his ambition led him through twists and turns and landed him subsequent rides for CCC, Wanty-Gobert, and Alpecin-Fenix.

He culminated the stretch with Bingoal WB in the 2023 season. However, despite having a remarkable career, Van Keirsbulck failed to find a new contract for the upcoming season. The cyclist confirmed this decision, saying, “Not my own choice but grateful for the past years. I have had a great career, but it is still difficult because I had hoped to race until at least the age of 35.” With a heavy and candid honesty, the revelation was made via the modern forum of an Instagram post. His brilliant performance in the arduous edition of Le Samyn in 2017 accompanied by his victorious feat during the 2014 Three Days of De Panne and Eneco Tour exhibited his determination that encapsulated the essence of his cycling journey. 

Tapestry of triumphs

Even though the cyclist had full confidence in his ability to be part of this sport till 35, his career concluded in an unforeseen nature. Van Keirsbulck voiced a mixture of gratitude for the support he had received, “I am grateful for all the fans who followed and supported me, the teams and staff for all the opportunities and what they did for me, teammates for the teamwork and also everything we have experienced together, we have seen the world together. I end 2023 with mixed feelings, but I have confidence in the future.”

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The announcement came as a testament to the unscripted nature of life, adorned with bouts of unexpected events tainting the final chapters. Holding a place at the Alpecin-Fenix development squad before transitioning into Bingoal-WB at the beginning of 2023, Van Keirsbulck etched his name into the annals of cycling by securing six victories. But his career did go through a low, when the CCC team got dissolute which propelled him towards retirement.

Even though, Van Keirsbulck is unaware of the path that lies ahead of his retirement, his tireless efforts and legacy will continue to linger on the cycling trails. As a dedicated cyclist, he has embodied the unpredictability and this retirement marks not just an end but a prologue to new chapters. 

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