'I'm still looking for answers' – Victor Lafay won't have a pro contract in 2027 but not yet calling it retirement as mystery illness destroys his season

Victor Lafay has not definitively called an end to his cycling career but he has confirmed he will not be racing in 2027 as he continues to search for answers to his long-running and ongoing health problems.

When the Frenchman won a stage of the 2023 Tour de France it seemed like a breakthrough moment, but he has endured a living nightmare ever since. His move to Decathlon CMA CGM for the 2024 and 2025 seasons was beset by knee injuries, and his move to Unibet-Rose Rockets this year has borne no fruit – in fact, he hasn’t even pinned on a race number for the Dutch team.

Lafay has been waylaid all year by extreme fatigue, without yet knowing the underlying cause, and he has now come to the end of his one-year contract, meaning he is without a team for next year.

"What is certain is that I will not have a contract in January 2027 and, what’s more, I’m not looking for one," Lafay said in a weekend interview with French newspaper L’Equipe.

"Right now, I’m just looking for my health to improve. I’m already starting to reflect on other, non-sporting, projects."

Lafay's health problems reportedly first surfaced in February this year, following an encouraging first pre-season training camp with Unibet-Rose-Rockets. Nine months on, he is seemingly no closer to getting to the bottom of them.

“We’ve tested my heart, my lungs, and we’ve researched different types of virus – absolutely everything. All the results indicate that I’m in good health. We still don’t know what is provoking all of this. It’s tough to go through," he said.

"When I would go shopping, or go for some bread at the bakery, I only had one desire when I got back home: sleep. I am very quickly spent. It’s going a bit better now when it comes to day-to-day things, but sportingly, it’s a disaster. Last week, I went for a walk to climb up to a temple in Asia. Three years ago, it took me an hour. This time, it took four to climb up and four-and-a-half to come down.

"I’m still looking for answers as to what I have. I have to do more blood tests once I’m back in France. I’m going to a renowned virology centre in Paris. We’re posing the question of a tropical disease, long Covid…"

Lafay knows he won’t be racing professionally in 2027 and is already thinking about options away from cycling, but he has not completely confirmed his retirement.

"I don’t want to say it like that. In my head, it’s not official," he said, indicating his sense of "unfinished business" at not being able to race a single day in 2026.

"I still keep hold of a bit of hope. You never know."

The road season might be at an end, but Cyclingnews isn't slowing down. Subscribe for unlimited access to our comprehensive news coverage, industry-leading CN Labs testing, expert columnists, and so much more. Plus, the Cyclingnews app means you can stay up-to-date wherever you go! Join today.