"There is a moment in every athlete's life that we all try not to think about for years and that affects each of us again and again," Bodnar begins his farewell post on Instagram. There is always something new to achieve, conquer and prove. But after 17 years in professional cycling, the 38-year-old is also calling it a day. "This season was the last for me. I've been thinking about ending my career for a long time and today is the moment to share this with you via social media."
Teams from Maciej Bodnar
- 2007 Liquigas
- 2008 Liquigas
- 2009 Liquigas
- 2010 Liquigas-Doimo
- 2011 Liquigas-Cannondale
- 2012 Liquigas-Cannondale
- 2013 Cannondale Pro Cycling Team
- 2014 Cannondale
- 2015 Tinkoff-Saxo
- 2016 Tinkoff
- 2017 Bora-Hansgrohe
- 2018 Bora-Hansgrohe
- 2019 Bora-Hansgrohe
- 2020 Bora-Hansgrohe
- 2021 Bora-Hansgrohe
- 2022 TotalEnergies
- 2023 TotalEnergies
Maciej Bodnar: 17 years of professional cycling
Maciej Bodnar started cycling at the age of 12 before leaving home two years later to become a professional. In 2007, this dream came true with Team Liquigas (Cannondale from 2013), for which he was under contract until 2014. Bodnar rode there from 2010 together with the later three-time world champion Peter Saganwith whom he was on the same team until this year - from 2017 to 2021 they both rode for the German racing team Bora-Hansgrohe.
Sagan has also already retired from the big road cycling stage. In 2024, the seven-time winner of the green jersey at the Tour de France will once again focus on the mountain bike competitions at the Olympics in Paris and will contest a few smaller road races on the way there for the Slovakian Continental team RRK Group-Pierre Baguette-Benzinol. Daniel Oss, another long-time companion of Sagan and Bodnar, has also ended his career after the 2023 season.
Maciej Bodnar thanks Peter Sagan
Bodnar thanked Sagan on X (formerly Twitter). "I've spent my entire professional career alongside this great man! It was 14 years, with ups and downs, but in the end we had a blast, it was an unforgettable experience! I don't regret a single moment, we really enjoyed it!" wrote the Pole.
Sagan wasn't the only big name Bodnar rode with during his career. In his Instagram post, the Pole also mentioned Ivan Basso, Alberto Contador and Vincenzo Nibali, whom he assisted. Bodnar is particularly proud to have been part of the Polish national team when Michal Kwiatkowski became world champion in Ponferrada, Spain, in 2014 and Rafal Majka won the bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
Above all, however, Maciej Bodnar used his farewell post to say thank you: "I would like to thank my team-mates, coaches, directors, managers and all the employees, from the mechanics to the masseurs and doctors to the staff in the offices. Thanks to you, everything has become easier."
"Cycling doesn't just demand sacrifice and renunciation from the riders. It also, and perhaps above all, demands it of our families. So now is the time for family and loved ones." - Maciej Bodnar
He would also like to thank the fans and especially his family, who probably played a major role in his decision to end his career: "I love you! You've always been there! Cycling doesn't just demand sacrifice and renunciation from the riders. It also, and perhaps above all, demands it of our families. So now is the time for family and loved ones."
Lukas Niebuhr
Working student
