David De La Cruz, rider for Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, has announced his retirement from professional cycling, concluding a brilliant 17-year career in the peloton.

At 37 years old, the Spanish rider is competing in what will be his last Vuelta a España, a race that has marked some of the most significant moments of his career. This year's edition is De La Cruz's twelfth Vuelta and his twentieth overall participation in a Grand Tour: a milestone that testifies not only to longevity, but also to consistency, resilience, and the trust he has earned by racing for some of the most prestigious and demanding teams in professional cycling.

Now, De La Cruz has decided that the time has come to close this chapter and retire from professional activity. "I am proud to have managed to maintain a good level of performance," states De La Cruz. "Even in the last two years, despite my age, I have achieved important results: a top 10 at Tirreno-Adriatico, a top 15 at this year's Giro d'Italia and several podiums in the past season, including the national championships. I feel I have worked in the right way and maintained high performance right through my final season. However, I also feel that this is the right moment to turn the page, to stop while things are going well and to make room for the new generation."

De La Cruz's cycling journey saw him wear the jerseys of Caja Rural, Team NetApp-Endura, Etixx-Quick Step, Team Sky, UAE Team Emirates, Astana Qazaqstan Team, and finally Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team. Throughout his career, he managed to balance personal ambitions with team responsibilities, often playing a key role in the mountains while also pursuing his own results. The pinnacle came at the 2016 Vuelta, when he won the ninth stage finishing at Alto del Naranco, wearing the red jersey of the general classification leader. He then finished the race in seventh place, a result he matched again in 2020 and 2021. Beyond his successes in Spain, he claimed two stage wins at Paris-Nice and was part of UAE Team Emirates in 2020, the year Tadej Pogačar won his first Tour de France. The Spanish rider also had the privilege of wearing the national champion's jersey after winning the time trial in 2024. As he prepares to close a chapter, De La Cruz does so with pride, backed by a career characterized by endurance, professionalism, and a deep awareness of what it means to compete at the highest levels.