Andrea Waldis

In 2012, Andrea Waldis became U19 World Cross Country Champion and really got going. The following year, she immediately won two U23 World Cup races and finished fifth at the World Championships. However, after this promising first U23 season, Waldis' career stumbled somewhat. At the same time, Waldis took a liking to track cycling, where she was soon regularly climbing onto the podium. After missing out on an Olympic ticket for Tokyo, the 27-year-old focused on mountain biking again. Nevertheless, she decided to end her racing career at the end of the 2021 season. "It was a great time, but as racing has become increasingly stressful in recent years, I decided to become a "bike pensioner". Waldis is heading in a different direction professionally, she adds: "In June 2022, I will graduate from the teacher training college and will then work as a primary school teacher."

Anneke Beerten

The Dutchwoman began her career on the BMX, later switched to downhill and found her real strength in 4x. In the spectacular gravity discipline, Beerten became world champion three times and won four more world championship medals as well as the overall World Cup rankings four times. With the removal of the 4x from the UCI World Cup calendar, the Dutchwoman shifted her focus to enduro racing. She rode to numerous victories and podium finishes, became European champion in 2015 and finished third overall in the Enduro World Series. Most recently, she tried her hand at the first e-mountain bike world championships in Canada in 2019, where she won the bronze medal. However, a car accident and a serious concussion forced the 39-year-old off her bike. Even though she can now lead a relatively normal life, she can no longer ride at a high level. Nevertheless, the decision to retire was not an easy one: "Although it breaks my heart to end my career in this way, I am happy about the great time I was able to experience." However, she will continue her partnership with Specialized and pass on her experience to young racers and kids. Beerten has also already set foot in the media industry, hosting the children's races at the Sea Otter Festival from October 7 to 10 and creating content for GMBN.

Barbara Benko

The Hungarian's career was launched with a silver medal at both the European and World Championships for the U19s. Internationally, the Hungarian was not one of the top shots at elite level, but was a popular colleague on the racing scene. Benkó became Hungarian cross-country champion eleven times in a row and won a total of 30 national titles in the marathon, road and cyclo-cross. Benkó rode and won her last cross-country race on home soil. A race organized by her father, "like everything when I started riding 20 years ago," says the Hungarian. "I couldn't wish for a better ending - a big thank you to everyone who was involved in this great ride!"

Catharine Pendrel

The 41-year-old Canadian has been in the saddle for what feels like an eternity. Having started mountain biking 25 years ago, Pendrel took part in the Cross-Country World Championships for the first time in 2004. Just four years later, she won her first World Cup and narrowly missed out on an Olympic medal in Beijing. After three overall World Cup victories and two world titles in cross country, Olympic bronze in Rio in 2016 and five more years in the World Cup, Pendrel retired from the racing stage. The Canadian won't be bored, as she became a mother at the end of January 2021. And she is also staying involved on the sporting side: she runs the junior team "Pendrel Racing" and says: "I enjoy coaching, and I especially like working with young women."

Damien Oton

The Frenchman was one of the absolute world leaders in enduro racing for several years and was long regarded as "Mr. Consistency" thanks to his consistently good results. He also won the Megavalanche, the infamous mass start downhill race on Alpe d'Huez, twice. Now Oton is saying goodbye to racing and enjoying more time with his young family. However, he will remain loyal to his current sponsor, as he reveals: "I will continue to work with Orbea, so I will probably be at one race or another again, even if not on the race track. But now I'm mainly looking forward to mountain biking without riding against the clock."

Emilie Siegenthaler

After Marielle Saner, the 35-year-old was the most successful Swiss downhill racer for a long time. Initially successful in cross country, she tried her hand at downhill for the first time in 2007 and immediately won silver at the elite Swiss Championships. The change of discipline had been launched and Siegenthaler plunged down the world's most difficult descents for 14 years. She rode to seven Swiss championship titles, many World Cup podiums and three podium places during her career, but also suffered the odd injury. As is part and parcel of the sport, she always fought her way back and brought her career to a solid close with the 2021 season. For the time being, she doesn't want to know anything about new big tasks in top-level sport or in the cycling industry: "First of all, I'm taking enough time for my family and myself and I'm looking forward to being able to do other things next summer than travel from race to race. I will continue to work as a substitute teacher and explore what opportunities are open to me in the bike sport or industry. I will certainly be on the course at one or two races and support a few athletes as a sports psychologist."

Esther Süss

In recent years, Esther Süss was no longer to be seen on the cross-country race courses, but she was still a front runner in the marathon. Before that, she was also at the forefront of the international cross-country circuit. The now 45-year-old came out of the hobby category in 2004 and improved noticeably. She won the Cape Epic in South Africa, became Swiss cross-country and marathon champion and also won the European and world titles in the long distance. Süss' palmares is significantly larger than this frame allows, but two other results are worth highlighting: In 2012, she finished fifth at the Olympic Games in London and a year later won bronze at the Cross-Country World Championships in South Africa. Her retirement came rather gradually, however, as she only rode selected marathon races recently, but mostly at the top level. Süss no longer has to reach this level, but she won't be lying on her back, as she reveals: "As well as giving lessons at school, I'm trying to keep fit and hope to be able to ride lots of beautiful bike tours."

Julie Bresset

In her very first elite season, Julie Bresset won Olympic gold in 2012 and became world champion. The following year, the Frenchwoman won the rainbow jersey again, but then never really got back on track. She struggled with depression and did not ride any more races in 2017. Nevertheless, Bresset returned, but never regained her old strength. The 32-year-old said her goodbyes at the Swiss World Cup stop. "Thank you mountain bike family, Lenzerheide was a wonderful and memorable race for me. I'm proud of my career and it's great that I can finish it here. Thanks to my compatriot and team colleague Loana Lecomte, this step is also much easier for me. She's a promise for the future and I'm just as proud of her!"

Lukas Flückiger

At a young age, Lukas Flückiger stood out in cross-country races with his bold riding style, where he did not fear the big-name riders. He soon became one of the great athletes himself, riding to the podium in the World Cup and celebrating his greatest success in 2012 with World Championship silver in Leogang. Flückiger rode his last Mountain Bike World Cup in Lenzerheide and rounded off his career in Einsiedeln by winning the Swiss Marathon Champion title. "I would actually have liked to continue riding races, but that doesn't fit in with my future plans." Flückiger is not referring to running the Infinity bike store, but rather touches on his plans in the sporting field, leaving it at this teaser and promising news at a later date.

Manuel Fumic

The most successful German mountain biker wanted to end his career at the Olympic Games in 2020. However, the postponement of the Games, the cancellation of the home World Championships in Albstadt and a collarbone injury sent the mountain bike star into extra time. He competed in his fifth Olympic cross-country race in Tokyo and became German champion once again. However, he was unable to complete his career, as the 39-year-old broke his hand during training at the World Championships. "I'm super disappointed, but I can't change it," said Fumic after the diagnosis. "The last dance" with Henrique Avancini at the Cape Epic will also be denied him. His recovery is still too little advanced.

Maya Wloszczowska

The 37-year-old Polish athlete stepped into the limelight at the 2003 Marathon World Championships in Lugano, where she entered the history books as the first female world champion in this discipline. Wloszczowska has been a guaranteed hit at international championships over the years. She won two silver medals at the Olympic Games, one gold, five silver and two bronze medals at the Cross-Country World Championships and became European Champion. After 21 World Cup podiums and a final silver medal at the Marathon World Championships on the island of Elba, she is saying goodbye. "I'm ending my career, but I'm not saying goodbye to mountain biking. I will continue to train and take part in some amateur competitions." And the Polish athlete won't get bored either. At the Olympic Games in Tokyo, she was elected to the Athletes' Commission of the International Olympic Committee along with three other athletes.

Matthias Stirnemann

The man from Aargau stood in the shadow of others for a long time, but fought his way out and was then one of the best Swiss mountain bikers. In 2016, Stirnemann crowned his best season with sixth place in the overall World Cup rankings. Just under six months later, he triumphed together with Nino Schurter at the Cape Epic. After that, Stirnemann was not quite able to build on his successes. Nevertheless, he recovered, returned to the "Möbel Märki MTB Pro Team" and showed in 2019 with twelfth place in Nove Mesto and 13th place at the World Cup in Lenzerheide that he is once again close to his best performances. In September 2021, the 30-year-old rode the last race of his career in Lenzerheide and says: "I don't feel like racing anymore - I'd rather race together than against each other!" He will therefore continue to ride on two wheels in his private life, whether on a mountain bike, motocross bike or on very narrow tires, the latter of which he would still like to implement a project on. Professionally, Stirnemann wants to find a new direction. Until then, however, he will continue to work in the bike store for the time being, he concludes.

Mick Hannah

The Australian downhill star's riding style was daredevil and spectacular. It didn't always work out, and Hannah probably gambled away one or two successes in the World Cup. Nevertheless, the 38-year-old won a World Cup, topped the podium over a dozen times and won three World Championship medals - most recently at the 2017 World Championships in Cairns. Although he didn't make it to the podium in the last five years, his spectacular riding style and the odd no-hander for the crowd remained until his last World Cup race in Snowshoe, as did his motivation to keep going for 20 years. "How I managed to stay motivated for so long, I don't know. I just had a passion for riding downhill, set goals and worked hard to achieve them, and now 20 years have passed. It's been more incredible than I could ever have imagined. But it's also been harder than I could have imagined."

Robin Wallner

The Swede was once the fastest downhill rider in the country, but the big international successes failed to materialize. The Enduro World Series was created at the right time for him. Wallner felt at home in this race format and fought his way into the top 10 over the years, then onto the podium. However, victory eluded the 33-year-old and it didn't get any easier. "In recent years, I've had to battle with minor, persistent injuries, and my private life has also changed with two children. I'm glad that I was able to make the decision to retire myself and that I'm still competitive and healthy," says Wallner, who will remain loyal to the sport in another capacity and will support the Ibis Enduro Team as team manager from next year.