Ashleigh Moolman Pasio has announced that she will retire at the end of the 2022 season, drawing to a close what will be a 13-year professional career.
The South African, who turned 36 in December, made the announcement during the SD Worx team presentation on Wednesday afternoon, adding that it was a tough decision to make as she feels like is still progressing in the sport.
"For me it obviously it has been a little bit more difficult to find the time to retire because although I'm the oldest rider on the team and I'm getting older, the reality is that I'm still very young in cycling. I only came to cycling later in life after studying a degree, so I still feel quite young on the bike," Moolman Pasio said.
"So it is quite difficult to hang up the bike when when there is still chance to progress. But I just feel like I've had an incredible journey as a cyclist. I've grown so much as a person, and I feel now is the time to take the next steps to look more into the business side of things."
As well as racing professionally, Moolman Pasio has run the hotel and bike rental business Rocacorba Cycling in Girona with her husband, Carl. That will be a focus for her once she hangs up her wheels along with a focus on eSports.
She's currently the reigning world champion in the discipline and has also founded the Rocacorba Collective, a space for women to ride and compete in eSports. She said that she hopes to give back to women riders, especially those from South Africa who are based far from the European pro scene.
"I have a cycling tourism business on the side and I'm getting more and more involved in eSports as well to try and start kind of giving back," she said.
"As a South African, I'm in Europe very far away from my home country and I see so many young girls who would love to be in the position. I am to have a pro career, and it's very difficult for South Africans to come over to Europe for various reasons.
"So really do feel like at that time in my life, now where I want to start sort of giving back. For me eSports, at the moment, is the way to do that."
Moolman Pasio said that her main aim in her final season will be to try and win a Women's WorldTour race. She had 42 victories on her palmarès, including multiple national and African titles, and she also won stage 9 of the Giro Rosa last year, though the race was not part of the Women's WorldTour.
"If I could get that elusive WorldTour victory and then just have an amazing year with my team," she said.
"Just to enjoy the riding to, to see the youngsters grow. I really enjoy seeing young talent come through – I think it's a part of cycling that also motivates me a lot to be able to play some kind of motivational role within the team.
"So, I look forward to riding with my teammates and winning many races together. Whether that's me or another teammate – I think it will be amazing, either way."
Moolman Pasio is set to make her 2022 season debut at the Strade Bianche Donne in early March before riding through the spring Classics and also racing the inaugural Tour de France Femmes in July.
