Lucy Kennedy has announced that she will retire from professional cycling at the end of the 2021 season. The Australian will join Team BikeExchange for the final two races of her career. She will take part in the Challenge by La Vuelta on September 2-5 in Spain, which will be shown on SBS, and the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l'Ardèche held from September 8-14 in France, a race she has won, back in 2017.
"It's almost the end of a wild ride! I've decided that 2021 will be my last year as a professional cyclist as I shift my focus to different priorities." Kennedy shared in an Instagram post on Thursday.
After turning professional in 2018 with the then Mitchelton-Scott team, Kennedy had an eventful four years on the professional female cycling circuit. "I could write a book on the experiences I've packed into four years," Kennedy stated.
Over this time Mitchelton-Scott transitioned into Team BikeExchange and Kennedy moved from an inexperienced rider with most of her successes at national level, to a well-respected climber with international wins under her belt.
Over Kennedy's relatively short professional cycling career the Aussie was able to amass two general classification victories at the Women’s Herald Sun Tour and an overall win at the Tour de l’Ardeche. She has also won the San Sebastian Klasikoa and Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria, along with finishing second overall at the Santos Women’s Tour Down Under, going so close to winning in a stage at the Giro d’Italia Donne, and also second at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.
But amongst the highs, there were also lows, with Kennedy particularly hard-hit by injuries from crashes during her career.
Facing the frustrating implications of a COVID-ridden 2020 season that saw many events shut down as well as the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics, Kennedy had her eyes set on the 2021 Ardennes Classics. She had a strong campaign with a couple of top-20 finishes at Amstel Gold Race and Flèche Wallonne. She looked to be in excellent condition going into Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Unfortunately, Kennedy crashed out of the race and suffered fractures to her hand, collarbone, and eye socket.
The extensive recovery meant that she was effectively counted out of the Australian team selection for the women’s road race for the Tokyo Olympic Games in July.
She made a return to competition at the San Sebastian Klasikoa and most recently competed at the Ladies Tour of Norway before announcing her retirement.
Kennedy will look to be competitive in her final two professional races and save the retirement celebrations for when she crosses the finish for the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l'Ardèche in France. "Right now I am still a cyclist with a job to do," Kennedy states.
