We will no longer see Geoffrey Bouchard in the cycling peloton in 2026. The 33-year-old Frenchman announced his retirement on Monday. Bouchard turned professional at a relatively late age, but he still went on to claim the King of the Mountains title in both the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España.
Bouchard was picked up by the AG2R team only at the end of 2018—at the age of 26. The climber caught the eye of the storied squad with several promising results, especially in the French racing circuit. After a trial period, his dream came true: he signed his first professional contract.
Bouchard grew into a highly valued rider and distinguished himself several times as a natural attacker, particularly in the Grand Tours. At the 2019 Vuelta a España, he emerged as one of the revelations, as after three weeks and countless breakaway attempts, he went home wearing the polka-dot jersey.
It was no fluke, as two years later he achieved exactly the same feat, but this time in the Giro d'Italia. Over the years, there were more sporting highlights. In 2022, he secured his first and only professional win (officially, secondary classifications don’t count) at the Tour of the Alps, and two years ago Bouchard also stood on the final podium (3rd) of the Tour of Oman.
Bouchard claimed his sole professional victory at the Tour of the Alps – photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
A farewell on a low note
In recent years, however, the Frenchman increasingly struggled with physical setbacks. Two years ago, he broke a rib, forcing him to withdraw from the Tour de France, and this year he suffered multiple fractures in a heavy crash during the opening stage of the Giro d'Italia. His farewell year turned out to be a disappointing one, as a broken collarbone meant he was sidelined for the final months of the season.
Geoffrey Bouchard| Year | Team |
|---|---|
| 2026 | |
| 2025 | |
| 2024 | |
| 2023 | |
| 2022 |
