Abrupt end to cycling career for Sep Vanmarcke: 'There is no other option'

Belgian cyclist Sep Vanmarcke has announced the end of his career on social media. The 34-year-old suffered a cardiac arrhythmia during the Belgian national cycling championships on 25 June.

"I have scar tissue on my heart that could grow. This could lead to heart failure," Vanmarcke wrote. "It is a terribly painful decision to end my cycling career so abruptly, but there is no other option."

During his 14-year career, Vanmarcke won nine races, with the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in 2012 and the Bretagne Classic in 2019 being the most significant highlights.

Although Vanmarcke was primarily a rider for the Flemish spring classics, he also achieved several podium finishes in top classics. His most recent victory came last year in the US at the Maryland Cycling Classic. He was also third twice in the Tour of Flanders in 2014 and 2016 and second in Paris-Roubaix in 2013, and participated in the Tour de France five times.

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