Women's peloton will lose an icon after 2026: Amanda Spratt will end her career at the end of the season

The women's peloton is going to lose a great rider at the end of the season. Amanda Spratt will put an end to her career at the end of 2026. The Lidl-Trek rider announced this on Sunday. With that, the 38-year-old routine rider from Australia is preparing for her Last Dance.

It was back in 2012 that Spratt turned pro. That was at the then-called Orica-AIS-team, the forerunner of Mitchelton-Scott and later BikeExchange-Jayco. With that team, the Australian raced until 2022, followed by a move to Lidl-Trek. At the age of 38, she thus started her last year as a pro with the American-German-formation.

"THE FINALE!" is how Spratt headlines her post on Instagram. "I still really love racing, I love the process of working towards a goal. I love being around my teammates & helping them achieve their dreams but I have made the decision to choose where my finish line is so, 2026 will be my last year as a professional cyclist."

"Cycling has given so much to me," the Australian continued. "It’s part of who I am and always will be. One thing that I’m really grateful for about my career is the longevity that I’ve had & there are so many people that have supported me both near & far over the last 30 years. Announcing now means that I get the chance to share every moment of my last season in the peloton with those who have made my career so special."

On her team's website, Spratt explains more. "I am still motivated and still training hard ahead of the 2026 season. I don’t want my career to just fizzle, I want to keep putting the effort in. I am still really motivated and I still love what I do so, I want to go out on a good note."

What her ambitions are in the final year? "Of course, I would love to win a race, I haven’t done that in a long time, but mostly, I would just love, over the next year, to be a really valued team member and contribute to some big results for my teammates. I think we have built an exciting group and we have a really good short and longer term vision which is something really excites me."

Spratt is especially grateful for her years as a pro rider. "I am really grateful for the people I've had around me throughout my career and as it comes to a close with Lidl-Trek, I think it's important to acknowledge that. I think it's something that surrounding myself with good people has been super important and is something that has always made the difference for me."