"This will be my last World Cup": David Valero announces his retirement from XCO

From the XCO World Cup in Mont-Sainte-Anne, the best Spanish XCO cyclist of the last decade has announced his retirement from the highest competition in the discipline: "it will be my last World Cup."

David Valero announces his retirement from XCO and leaves the door open to continue competing in other disciplines

"The time has come to turn the page, it is clear that my conditions are no longer the best: the new generations are coming on strong." The current Spanish Champion began saying from Canada just hours before starting his last World Cup race.

Valero has had one of the best periods in Spanish XCO with numerous podiums in World Championships, the World Cup, including his victory in Snowshoe in 2022, or his silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. In addition, he is the Spanish rider with the most titles as Spanish XCO Champion (10). A record that places him among one of the most prominent cyclists in the world of mountain biking and that now seems to open up his competition options.

"This has been a very beautiful period for me in XCO, I have achieved great results. ... I can only thank you"

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XCM or gravel could be his next goals

"A cycle in my life is closing, and I hope to open another one in which I can continue enjoying mountain biking and cycling in general. I think I still have something left in other disciplines"

These words only seem to confirm what has been rumored for months. Valero could now focus on other disciplines such as XCM or gravel, in which he has already shown that he can perform like the best.

In XCO races, Valero has been characterized for years by epic comebacks. And that driving style, a little less aggressive at the start but with very strong finishes, has proven to be a great advantage in longer races like the 2024 XCM World Championship, where he won a bronze medal, or this year's where he came close to the medals. A style that could also be adapted to current gravel races.

In any case, we will have to wait for him to confirm his future without the XCO World Cup on his calendar.