Gilberto Simoni - Retirement

Retirement

Respected cycling columnist Samuel Abt of the International Herald Tribune described Simoni as an "inspiration to all retireers who wonder what they will do now with so much time on their hands." He pointed out the fact that instead of taking up golf or lurking at home watching television, the first thing Simoni did "after saying goodbye to the workplace rejoin it."

But after finally calling it quits on a professional career that included nearly 600 classified results in UCI-sanctioned events, Simoni was vague concerning his plans for his life after cycling, though he hinted at not being in a rush or under any economic or psychological pressure to immediately engage in a new venture. Prior to the 2010 Giro's final stage, Simoni declared his intention to slow-down the pace of decision-making in his life: "I don't want to think about my future just yet," he said. "I won't need to rush things anymore. I won't need to race against time. I can take my time and enjoy the rest of my life."