Maxime Marotte says goodbye to his fans with the last race in France

Maxime Marotte said goodbye with tears to the Les Gets XCO World Cup. The Frenchman is retiring at the end of the season due to his respiratory problems and closing a long career in the elite. In the statement, the rider himself assures that his intention is to remain linked to top-level competition in the coming years.

Maxime Marotte bids farewell to his fans: the goodbye of one of the greats

Beyond Alan Hatherly's victory, the weekend had another great protagonist. Maxime Marotte competed in his last XCO World Cup at home after announcing his retirement at the end of the year a few days ago. The Frenchman crossed the finish line almost 10 minutes after Hatherly, emotional, with tears in his eyes. The audience responded with a heartfelt ovation, recognizing the talent and quality of someone who has been a reference in the peloton for the past two decades.

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Maxime Marotte's definitive farewell from professional life will come on October 6 at the Mont-Sainte-Anne XCO World Cup. However, Les Gets was the other special moment on the calendar before dismantling the bike for the last time.

Marotte's career comes to an end, bidding farewell to one of the most veteran riders still pedaling among the best. The respiratory problems suffered by the Decathlon Ford Racing Team cyclist are behind the decision. "I feel that maybe it's a good time to stop; my body is telling me to stop," he explained in the statement he shared on his social networks.

Still, Marotte acknowledges that he is ending his career "without regrets," now at 38 years old - born in 1986, from the same generation as Nino Schurter - and grateful to have had a long career competing in the World Cup for twenty years.

 

 

 

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Maxime Marotte has made consistency one of his strong points. The Frenchman's career stands out for that regularity that has led him to occupy top positions for years. Marotte explained in statements to BrujulaBike that this success was due to both him and his coach "always having a race plan instead of a seasonal plan." A way of approaching sports that has brought him great joy: "I don't have the biggest engine, but this ability is probably one of my greatest strengths."

Although victory in the World Cup has eluded him, the Frenchman has been a regular on the podium, having climbed it 27 times between the first time in Dalby Forest (2011) and the last in Petropolis (2022). His great results also include winning the French National Champion jersey four times: 2010 in XCM; 2017 and 2021 in XCO; and 2023 in XCC.

In addition, Marotte also has an Olympic participation in the 2016 Rio Olympics, finishing in fourth place. Surely this was his best year, when he reached his best form reaching third place in the season ranking.

 

 

 

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Marotte will live his last races dressed in the Decathlon Ford Racing Team kit, a structure he joined in 2023. The rider joined the team after stints with the BH-SR Suntour-KMC, Cannondale Factory Racing, and Santa Cruz FSA MTB Pro Team.

The 2024 season started for him at the Shimano Supercup Massi La Nucía and will culminate in the autumn World Cups in the United States and Canada. Although he has chosen not to reveal details, Marotte has some project in mind to remain linked to high-level competition: "I'm pretty sure you'll see me in the World Cups in the coming years."

The publication has received affection from many of his professional colleagues, such as Julien Absalon, Mathis Azzaro, Jordan Sarrou, Loana Lecomte, Savilia Blunk, Luca Schwarzbauer, or David Campos, among others.