Simon Yates' decision to suddenly retire from professional cycling came as a shock, but there was widespread support and understanding amongst his fellow riders due to the growing mental and physical fatigue that riders face in the modern peloton.
More and more riders are ending their careers prematurely due to the pressures and expectations of the sport, with burnout a constant risk. Twenty-three-year-old Fem van Empel was a three-time cyclocross world champion and expected to become a multi-discipline star of the women's peloton, but she opted to retire in December.
