“], “filter”: { “nextExceptions”: “img, blockquote, div”, “nextContainsExceptions”: “img, blockquote”} }”>
Never miss a moment of Paris-Roubaix and Unbound Gravel, the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France, the Vuelta a España and everything in between when
>”,”name”:”in-content-cta”,”type”:”link”}}”>join Outside+.
Danish cyclist Pernille Mathiesen has decided to end her professional career to focus on her mental and physical well-being.
In a brave and deeply honest post on her Instagram account, the 24-year-old opened up about her current situation and her need to “find joy in other things” in life after having the courage to speak out about her battles with health. mind and food. disorder.
“I have decided to stop my career as a professional cyclist, after a long time without finding joy and motivation in cycling at a professional level,” Mathiesen wrote in an Instagram post.
“I was hoping it would be a period of time and the joy and motivation would come back, but it doesn’t. I have also been struggling with mental health and an eating disorder due to the massive focus on body composition in the sport. It has been a very difficult decision to make. Cycling has always been a big part of my life and identity. I started racing when I was 8 years old and have been running for 16 years.”
A highly talented junior, with a silver medal in the World Championships time trial in 2014, Mathiesen moved up through the ranks with the BMS BIRN team in 2016 and signed for another Danish team, Virtu Cycling Women in 2017. She then moved to team Sunweb and in 2018 and spent three years with the team before joining the Jumbo Visma women’s team last year.
That deal only lasted one season and Mathiesen moved to Cofidis at the beginning of 2022. He only entered two one-day races this season. In her statement, the Danish cyclist also spoke proudly about achieving his goals of riding for some of the biggest teams in the world and the experiences he has been through. Cofidis has agreed to terminate Mathiesen’s contract a year ahead of schedule.
“I’ve been a pro for 6 years, on my dream teams… Virtu, Sunweb, Jumbo-Visma and Cofidis and I’m grateful for all the experiences I got and all the people I met,” she said.
Mathiesen, a strong time trialist and well-respected teammate, thanked her current team but decided it was the right decision to step back and focus on her own personal health.
“I am proud of my achievements, my results over the years, and I am very proud of this decision I have made to focus on my overall health. I also want to thank Team Cofidis for their understanding and handling of this situation. I signed a 2-year contract with the team in September and breaking the contract with a great team early has not been easy. Now is the time to find joy in other things in life, because nothing is worth not being happy.”
Friends within the peloton and fellow riders were quick to support Mathiesen on social media almost immediately after he shared his news.
Juliette Labous of the DMS team wrote on Instagram: ” We will miss you! Delighted to have met you thanks to cycling and good luck in what is to come.”
The DSM team followed up with, “Everyone on the team wishes you the best of luck for what’s next, Pernille!”
Also read:
