Marta Cavalli Announces Retirement, Citing Exhaustion After Years of Injury and Comeback Attempts
Italian climber Marta Cavalli has announced her retirement from professional cycling, stating she “doesn’t feel part of this world anymore” after a career marked by both stunning victories and debilitating injuries. The 26-year-old shared the news via Instagram, bringing an end to a career that showcased significant talent but was repeatedly disrupted by crashes and recovery periods.
Cavalli rose to prominence with a breakout 2022 season, securing wins at the Amstel Gold Race and La Flèche Wallonne, and finishing second overall at the Giro d’Italia. However, a crash on stage 2 of the inaugural Tour de France Femmes derailed her momentum and initiated a challenging period.
She battled to regain form, experiencing discomfort in the peloton following the injury and taking additional time away from racing in 2023 to address lingering issues. Cavalli successfully returned to winning ways with victories at the CIC-Tour Feminin International des Pyrenees and Tour cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche.
2024 proved even more difficult, begining with a crash at a training camp in February and a collision with a car in July – thankfully avoiding serious injury in the latter incident. She raced for only five days that season before signing with Post Picnic NL for 2025, hoping for a fresh start.
Despite racing the Spring Classics in 2025,including a 13th-place finish at Milan-San Remo Women,Cavalli struggled to recapture her previous form and consistently finish stage races.
“I’ve faced a crossroads many times, but I always chose to stay and get back on the game as giving up never liked me,” Cavalli said previously. However, she ultimately concluded that it was time to move on.
“After a year with peace of mind I can say I don’t feel part of this world anymore and itS time to say goodbye to the group because here my work is done,” she wrote on Instagram. “I don’t hide the sadness, but it’s that time when it’s better to loosen the grip and go chase for more dreams that I have in my drawer.”
