Tom Steels will call it quits next year

Tom Steels of Team Predictor-Lotto has decided that 2008 will be his last pro season. "I can feel the wear and tear, especially mentally," the 35 year-old said.

"I have one more year, and then there will be enough kilometres on my counter," he told the Gazet van Antwerpen. Steels is a four-time Belgian champion but he has had to deal with many injuries.

In 2006 he broke his shoulder, damaged his kidney and hurt a knee. In this year's Tour of Qatar he crashed after bumping with Graeme Brown, breaking his collarbone.

His last win was two years ago, when he won the third stage of the Three Days of De Panne. The Belgian is already planning for his second career. He is studying sport management at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and is considering a future in politics.