High-profile professional cyclists have publicly revealed depression, burnout, anxiety and disordered eating, affecting both established stars and younger riders. Reported cases include clinical depression after viral illness, retirement from burnout, career hiatuses and multi-year struggles with mental illness. Lifetime depression risk for cyclists is estimated at about 27.8%, a rate comparable to common physical injuries. Dedicated initiatives now offer confidential consultations and educational outreach targeted at national teams and individual riders. Persistent sport cultures that valorize extreme self-punishment contribute to mental strain, prompting calls for broader support, prevention and long-term care within cycling.
The past few seasons have seen several high-profile professional cyclists open up about their struggles with mental health. Mark Cavendish revealed he battled clinical depression following his struggles to regain form after suffering from the Epstein-Barr virus; Tom Dumoulin retired due to burnout, repeatedly stating that he was "mentally exhausted"; More recently, younger, less experienced riders have struggled earlier in their career too.
Prodigious cyclo-cross star Fem van Empel is currently on a hiatus from racing due to mental pressure, whilst Leo Hayter stepped away from the sport and Ineos Grenadiers in August 2024, revealing a five-year battle with depression, anxiety and disordered eating. Positively, he's now actively seeking a return to professional racing, appealing to teams to let him race the Chrono des Nations this October in search of a permanent place next year.
If you've been racing for over 10 years, the chances of breaking your collarbone are around 25%. Is that the worst 'injury'? Not when you take into account the lifetime risk of a cyclist suffering from depression. That's around 27.8%. Those are the words of Professor Dr Michael Liebrenz, head of the department of forensic psychiatry at the University of Bern in Switzerland. Liebrenz has helped to establish the Swiss Mental Health Hub, which offers confidential consultations and educational outreach.
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