It’s over for Niki Terpstra. The 38-year-old resident of Bergen will hang his bicycle from the willows from today. At his last race, Paris-Tours, he was the last rider to cross the finish line.
The race did not go smoothly for Terpstra. The North Hollander fell. He couldn’t play a major role, but he didn’t expect to. Exhausted, Terpstra crossed the line.
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Terpstra announced his retirement as a cyclist last month. He started his career in 2003 and stops after almost twenty years as a professional cyclist. The North Hollander can look back on an impressive career. He won Paris-Roubaix in 2014 and the Tour of Flanders in 2018. He also took the national road title three times (2010, 2012, 2015).
It has been a lot less successful in recent years, partly due to a number of injuries. He suffered one after a serious accident on the Markerwaarddijk between Lelystad and Enkhuizen.