Annika Langvad announced surprise retirement one day before world champs
"So, here's a big announcement..."
Photo by:
Bartek Wolinski/Red Bull Content Pool
On the eve of 2020 world championships, Annika Lanvad had something to say.
“I’m retiring from professional racing,” Langavds statement starts. “These 10 years of racing will probably be some of the most intense time of my entire life and now I’m ready to devote myself to other things in life.”
With the biggest race of the year looming, the consistently successful Danish rider announced her retirement. Effective immediately.
A surprise announcement, a day early
Retirement has been on the 2016 world champions’ mind for a while now, according to her statement Friday. The timing of the decision – the day before world championships – was not her initial choice, though.
After racing both World Cup’s last week in Nove Mesto, Langavd planned for Leogang world championships to be her final race. A persistent stomach bug, says the 36-year-old in her unexpected announcement, has forced the Specialized rider to withdraw from Saturday’s event.
10 years and a long list of victories
Langvad’s retirement ahead of Saturday’s world championships in Leogang ends a remarkably successful decade-long career.
In 2016, Langvad won the XCO world championships in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic. The powerful Danish rider earned another five cross country marathon world championships over the course of her career.
In addition to numerous World Cup wins, Langvad has an incredible five Absa Cape Epic titles to her name, in five race starts. The last earned in 2019, partnered with Boels Dolmans teammate Anna van der Breggen. Langvad also holds the course record at the Leadville 100 race.
More recently, Langvad has branched out into road racing, joining Boels Dolmans at select events. There, she enjoyed quick success, the highlight being a second-place finish behind Annemiek van Vleuten at Strade Bianche Women’s World Tour race.
Langvad accomplished much of this while completing her studies in Dentistry at home in Denmark. To combine such high achievement with her professional pursuits off the bike only added to the Danish rider’s lore.
Tokyo looming
Langvad’s unexpected departure comes at the end of a wildly unpredictable year. There is less than a year to go before the re-scheduled Tokyo Olympics, where Langvad would be among the favorites.
The women’s cross country field has incredible depth at the moment. Losing such a consistent force so unexpectedly will surely have a significant impact on the front of Saturday’s race. Best of luck to Langvad in her future endeavors!
Annika Langvad’s complete retirement statement
“So, here’s a big announcement: I’m retiring from professional racing. Now is the time. These 10 years of racing will probably be some of the most intense time of my entire life and now I’m ready to devote myself to other things in life.
I’ve been thinking a lot about what reflections to share with you, since it’s been quite a rollercoaster of emotions leading up to this point. This is not a decision made overnight, it has been at the back of my mind for a long time – the first time was in 2016, where I went to finish dentistry school after the season. But when you are on a high and you are wearing the rainbow jersey it’s just so easy to continue one more year. And thanks to Specialized there were always new adventures that made every next season too tempting to resist. The support and opportunities from Specialized is and always will be the absolute center of my career and something I forever will be grateful for. I grabbed a lot of those opportunities and managed to turn some of them into experiences and accomplishments that I didn’t even dare dreaming of, while other opportunities made me face some of my inner demons.
Also, I will forever be grateful for having Thomas Bonne by my side through it all. You are my rock and none of this would have been possible without you ❤️
In the end – I wouldn’t want to be without any of those adventures at all (good or bad) or any of the special people I’ve met along the way. Not a single one. It all contributed to who and where I am today.
But now it’s time. I’m feeling satisfied and content and okay with things as they are. I’ve played my role. I’m ready to move on.
This weekend was supposed to be my last World Champs. Sadly, I’ve been struggling with a stomach bug since Nove Mesto, which has left me drained and not able to be on the start line. I wish my teammates and all riders a fantastic race”
