Tour de France stage winner Dylan Teuns will not return to racing in 2027: 'I was able to fulfil my childhood dreams'

Teuns’ contract with Cofidis had expired, and he wanted to keep going for a while longer. But that wasn’t entirely up to him. “We’ll see if something comes up or not,” he said ahead of the Tour of Lombardy. “It does cause a bit of stress, but I’m trying to enjoy the last few weeks as much as possible. There’s still one conversation underway—that’s the last one. I’m giving it until the end of October, at the latest.”

And now it’s late October. That last conversation came to nothing, so after twelve years in the pro peloton—nine of them on the WorldTour—he’s calling it quits. He began his career with BMC, and went on to ride for Bahrain, Israel–Premier Tech, and Cofidis. “What a ride it’s been!” is how Teuns begins his farewell post on Instagram.

"It's time to say goodbye to the professional peloton," he continues. "After a wonderful youth career, with victories in the La Gleize mountain race and stages in the Triptyque Ardennais, Tour de Bretagne, Giro Valle d’Aosta, and Tour de l’Avenir, I was able to move from the BMC Development Team to the main team in 2014."

That’s also where he earned his first promotion. “That was the start of a 12-year professional career that took me to top teams like BMC, Bahrain Victorious, Israel-Premier Tech, and Cofidis. Wearing their jerseys was an absolute privilege. I look back with immense pride and gratitude on a career in which I was able to fulfil my childhood dreams.”

During his career, Teuns won, among other races, the Tour of Wallonia, the Tour of Poland, and the Arctic Race of Norway—all within a short period in 2017. He refers to that period as his “miracle weeks.” He also competed in 30 Monuments, with a third-place finish in the Tour of Lombardy as his best result. He also placed sixth in the Tour of Flanders and Liège–Bastogne–Liège.

But he had even greater highlights: in 2019, he won a stage of the Tour de France at La Planche des Belles Filles, and two years later, he did it again, at Le Grand Bornand. “In the pouring rain, I managed to hold off giants like Pogacar,” he recalls. But his childhood dream of winning the Flèche Wallonne was even sweeter. “Winning on the slopes of the Mur de Huy and leaving the ‘King of the Ardennes,’ Alejandro Valverde, behind me… Goosebumps!”

Now his career is coming to an end. “To all the fans, teammates, and staff who have supported me over the years—both on the sidelines and on screen—thank you! But a special thanks goes out to my parents, close friends, and girlfriend for their support through the highs and lows. I am deeply grateful to my loyal, steadfast circle of friends and family over the years. Without all of you, this dream would never have become a reality.”

It’s not yet clear what lies ahead for Teuns. As a rider, he had made it clear that he wanted to serve as a mentor to the younger riders: whether he’ll continue to do so now that he’s retired remains to be seen. “It’s time for a new chapter, but my love for cycling will last forever. Thank you!”