Stef Clement ends pro cycling career
Stef Clement retires as a pro cyclist. The 36-year-old Dutchman interrupted his preparation for the Tour de France in May due to physical problems and didn’t race ever since. After extensive medical research and the subsequent consultation between Clement and the team, it has been decided that the rider will get another position within Team Jumbo-Visma. He will, among other things, focus on nutrition and promotion.
“It’s not the way I wanted to finish my career. For fifteen years it has been my passion, hobby and work. I look back with pride and I achieved more than I ever thought possible”, Clement says. “If you are not sure whether a comeback is a sensible option, you start looking at alternatives. After the team offered me this position, this seemed the sensible thing to do. I am grateful to the team for this opportunity and I look forward to taking a new direction.”
Clement started his career at the Van Hemert Group in 2003 and then joined the Rabobank Continental Team, Bouygues Telecom, Rabobank, Belkin, IAM Cycling and Team LottoNL-Jumbo. On his list of achievements are four national TT titles. In 2007 he took bronze in that discipline at the World Championships in Stuttgart. The 2018 Tour of Romandie, won by teammate Primoz Roglic, now appears to have been Clement’s last appearance as a professional cyclist.
