Louic Boussemaere (Decathlon CMA CGM Development Team) has announced that he has ended his cycling career at the age of just 20, saying the sport has become just too difficult mentally and he no longer feels the same love for it.
The Belgian announced the decision on Instagram on October 8, near the end of his second season as an under-23. He had not raced since abandoning stage five of the Giro Next Gen on June 18.
"After 12 years, I've decided to stop cycling," he wrote. "A journey filled with love, passion, unforgettable memories, highs and lows. Cycling has given me so much and will always have a special place in my heart.
"But mentally, things have become difficult, and the love and passion for the sport are no longer the same. Walking away is not easy, but sometimes you have to choose yourself."
From 'we keep fighting' to stopping
Just over six weeks earlier, Boussemaere had posted with a more defiant tone. In an Instagram update on August 25, he described his 2026 season as "more of a journey from one injury or setback to another" he said.
"What started in March with COVID, before I had even raced my first race, was followed by problems with my back and hip flexors," Boussemaere said. "This resulted in a month and a half of rehabilitation at Move to Cure. After taking some time to reset, I headed to altitude camp full of motivation, only to get sick after four days and have to return home.
"After two weeks of rest, I had some new perspectives and started training again. Two days later, I ended up in the emergency room with an extremely high heart rate. Once again, training had to stop."
He said tests and four days wearing a heart monitor showed that everything was okay. "So I can officially confirm that I do have a heart and not a stone," he wrote.
"This winter, I'll be back doing what I love most: CX," he wrote. "See you there. We keep fighting."
At the beginning of October, Belgian newspaper GVA reported that he had chosen cyclocross with support from Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw. However, no contract was formulised. His retirement announcement came a week later.
Boussemaere came through the team's junior programme, riding for AG2R Citroën U19 Team in 2023, before stepping up to the under-23 squad, then called Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Development Team, in 2025. His first season at that level brought 16th overall at the Giro Next Gen and fifth at Il Lombardia Under-23, where he finished 32 seconds behind the winner.
His second season was cut short by the problems he described. He went into the Giro Next Gen with doubts over a hip problem and did not finish stage five.
He thanked the people he had met through the sport for "the incredible moments, memories, friendships and experiences".
"And now, you'll find me somewhere between the excavators and tractors," he wrote. "I'll still be there from time to time, cheering from the sidelines."
Cover image credit - 2026 DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM cycling team.
