Nacer Bouhanni, one of the most successful sprinters of the past decade, has announced his retirement. The French cyclist, who received both praise and criticism throughout his career, suffered a cervical spine fracture in a severe crash during the 2022 Tour of Turkey and subsequently couldn’t return to the top level of competition.
“Dear friends, supporters, I announce my retirement after 27 years of competitive cycling. I have been carefully considering this decision for several months. I started riding a bike at the age of 6, and it quickly became a great passion,” the Frenchman shared in an Instagram post. “70 victories, highs and lows, beautiful and less beautiful encounters, joys, disappointments, but I will only keep the best memories.”
Despite a career filled with ups and downs, Bouhanni can look back on a highly successful career. His résumé includes no less than seventy professional victories. The Frenchman turned professional with FDJ in 2011, where he quickly made a name for himself. He won three stages and the points jersey in the Giro d’Italia, three stages in the Vuelta a España, as well as victories in Paris-Nice, the Tour of Catalonia, and the Critérium du Dauphiné, among others. His last victory, La Roue Tourangelle, came in 2022.
Due to his occasionally unorthodox and dangerous racing behavior, he was not always popular among fellow cyclists. In 2021, he was even suspended for two months for his dangerous conduct in the final sprint of the Cholet-Pays de la Loire.
