Longstanding Australian all-rounder and Tour de France stage winner Simon Clarke has announced he will be retiring from the sport in January 2026.
Clarke, 38, made the announcement during the third rest day of the 2025 Giro d'Italia - which he is currently racing - that he will ride the Tour Down Under and Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race as the last events of his career.
A hugely valued domestique, one of Clarke's biggest wins in his own right was in the 2022 Tour de France, where he took the stage across the Paris-Roubaix cobbles. That year had begun with Clarke teamless following the last-minute folding of his previous squad, but then nailing a contract in early January with his current team, Israel-Premier Tech.
Other highlights of his career included a summit finish stage of the Vuelta a España in 2012, where he also claimed the mountains classification, and again in 2018, from another break. Clark was also a winner of one of Australia's former top stage races, the 2014 Herald SunTour and a podium finisher in one edition of Amstel Gold in 2019.
The Giro's second rest day also saw news from two more top-name veterans. 38-year-old Jonathan Castroviejo, six times Spanish national TT Champion, once a European ITT Champion, and currently a top domestique for Ineos Grenadiers, confirmed his retirement at the end of the season.
Former Giro podium finisher, Damiano Caruso, however, announced he would be continuing for another season with the Italian's current squad, Bahrain Victorious, through to the end of 2026.
Clarke's January 2026 retirement announcement on Instagram also included thanks to family and friends for their contributions to his 17-year professional career.
"It's hard to put into words what this sport has meant to me," Clarke said. "I left Australia at 16 years old with a dream to make it into Europe as a cyclist. I had no guarantees, just a deep love of the sport and a determination to chase something bigger. That decision changed my life.
"Over the years, I've had the privilege of racing on some of the world's biggest stages, standing on podiums, supporting teammates and being part of some truly special moments in the sport."
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