Chantal van den Broek-Blaak, a former World Champion and accomplished cyclist, has announced her retirement from professional cycling earlier than expected due to her pregnancy. Although she had aimed for another competitive season in 2025, the new pregnancy prompted her to step back. Her career highlights include winning the World Championships in 2017 and numerous prestigious races. While grateful for her accomplishments, including a recent Dutch National Championship title, she acknowledges the challenges of balancing motherhood and elite sports. Team manager Erwin Janssen supported her decision, emphasizing the joy of her pregnancy.
It took some switching, but there is no better reason to quit top-level sport," Van den Broek-Blaak, 35, said in the press release, indicating her unexpected but joyful retirement.
I had to get used to the role of motherhood combined with top-level sport. I rode good races, but the stability was missing. Of course, capturing the Dutch title was a nice highlight.
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