Former British highway and time trial champion Alice Wooden has introduced that she’s going to retire on the finish of the 2024 season.
The 28-year-old, née Barnes, will end the yr together with her present crew, US WorldTour outfit Human Powered Well being, earlier than calling time on a nine-year profession as knowledgeable.
“I really feel grateful that I’ve been in a position to do my pastime as my job for thus a few years,” Wooden wrote in a submit shared on Instagram. “They are saying discover a job you’re keen on, and you’ll by no means work a day in your life, and I’ve to say for essentially the most half that’s true. It is without doubt one of the hardest and best jobs on the similar time.
“I really feel very grateful that even with a few crashes I’ve had a reasonably easy profession and though I nonetheless love what I do I’m excited for brand spanking new challenges and really feel the time is true for me to stopping pinning on race numbers.”
Wooden claimed her first of 5 skilled victories on the 2017 BeNe Girls Tour, when she beat Marianne Vos in a two-up end on the opening stage. Two years later, she went on to do the double on the British Nationwide Championships, successful the time trial and the highway race in 2019.
Her older sister, Hannah Barnes, was additionally a double nationwide champion, and retired on the finish of 2023.
“I’ve so many individuals to thank who acquired me to the place I’m,” Wooden continued. “To start out with my mother and father, they put a lot money and time into taking us to races and coaching camps from such a younger age.
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“We raced every thing as youngsters which is not an affordable solution to go about it with three youngsters however that helped me on my solution to competing for Nice Britain on the World Championships in 4 totally different disciplines.”
In her announcement, Wooden additionally singled out her husband, GB observe bike owner and Olympian Ollie Wooden, who she married in October 2023. “He’s my greatest help and like so many others he believes in me greater than I do myself,” she mentioned. “With this my household doubled in measurement and gave me all of the help I might ever want for.”
The Brit started her profession with Drops Biking Crew in 2016, earlier than shifting to Canyon-SRAM in 2018.
Human Powered Well being, her present crew, who she joined in 2023, wrote in an announcement: “We thank Alice for her dedication, professionalism, kindness, and willingness to assist others. We stay up for seeing what the remainder of her last season on two wheels holds.”
Wooden’s subsequent race would be the Nationwide Championships, the place she’s going to compete within the time trial this Wednesday 19 June and the highway race on Sunday 23 June.
