Daniel McLay will still compete this season in the Tour of Guangxi (October 14-19), but will then put an end to his career. The 33-year-old Brit cannot stay with his current team Visma | Lease a Bike and has decided to call it quits.
"Professional cycling, thank you for the invitation," he begins his farewell post on Instagram. "What a ride it has been! I can only be grateful that for eleven years I was able to turn my passion into my profession, and even more thankful for the friends I met along the way."
"I also want to thank all the teams I have ridden for, from the junior categories to the pros. [...] The biggest thanks go to my parents and partner. My parents were willing to drive me everywhere for years, while my partner always supported me and was repeatedly willing to tolerate last-minute changes."
"I have no idea what the future will bring me. Or rather: I have too many ideas, but no decisions have been made yet. But I am excited about what’s coming, and I’m sure I will always remain connected to cycling in one way or another. But first, there’s still one race in China (the Tour of Guangxi, ed.) to close out."
McLay won a stage in the Tour of Guangxi riding for EF - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
McLay started his pro career in France with Fortuneo-Vital Concept and later rode for EF Education-First, Arkéa-Samsic (Fortuneo’s successor), and—since this year—Visma | Lease a Bike. The Brit was regarded for years as an excellent sprinter. He achieved ten professional wins with his fast legs: winning stages in the Tour of Guangxi and Circuit de la Sarthe, as well as the GP de Denain and Trofeo Palma.
In recent years, McLay increasingly transitioned from sprinter to lead-out man. He was recruited by Visma | Lease a Bike at the end of 2024 as a lead out. Serving the Dutch team, his role was to pilot Olav Kooij to as many sprint victories as possible; however, several crashes and injuries prevented this from fully materializing.
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Daniel McLay| Year | Team |
|---|---|
| 2025 | |
| 2024 | |
| 2023 | |
| 2022 | |
| 2021 |
