“It really gives me sleepless nights. I have difficulty accepting it and I sleep very badly“, was already worried at the beginning of October Simon Pellaud as to the uncertainty of his situation and the approach of the end of his contract with Tudor Pro Cycling. Nearly two months later, things have not improved for the 32-year-old Swiss globetrotter, who has since learned that he was not retained by the ProTeam of Fabian Cancellara in which he had been playing for two seasons. A separation which has left its mark, especially since the Swiss adventurer has still not found a project for 2025. “I understood that the project was changing in size and that we had to make room for the big guys…“, he regretted in an interview with the Swiss media The morningin reference to the recruitment of big names such as Marc Hirschi et Julian Alaphilippe.
Video – Simon Pellaud won the Tour of Brittany last year
“The World Tour no longer makes me dream… It's madness, the new generations have no life”
The one who by his own admission “always humbly considered a small“had a hard time getting over this disappointment.”There are times when I veer into incomprehension. It hurt to be pushed out because I wasn't expecting it. I took a little slap. And at the same time, I feel free from a weight. It's 50-50. I still feel a little bitter but I have accepted my fate. I remained on good terms with Tudor. Until the end, I was shown that my work and my personality had been appreciated, that I was an important element of the group“, he still puts things into perspective, grateful. The continuation of the adventure of the winner of the Tour of Britain 2023 therefore still remains in suspense, he who has not received any concrete offer to continue his career as a professional runner.
One thing is certain, his future will no longer take shape in the WorldTour, the cycling elite no longer corresponding to the character and lifestyle of this adventurer at heart. “The World Tour no longer makes me dream, I'm drawing a line under it. I sincerely wonder if cycling as it has become is viable in the long term. The level, the tempo, the risks we take… It's crazy. The daily life that one must lead to exist in the elite does not suit me. There are so many requirements that there is no room for anything other than cycling. The new generations have no life. I prefer to evolve lower but be competitive. I have a few good years left in me. I'm still in a golden age physically, I haven't reached my ceiling. My enthusiasm and my passion for the escape are intact, as well as my motivation“. He ideally envisions the rest in a less demanding environment, where he could combine road and gravel while developing his personal project. bike tour in Colombia.
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