Peter Kibble | Wales Racing Academy | The tough decision to retire, aged 22

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At the age of 22, talented Welshman Peter Kibble took the tough decision to retire from racing in May this year. Deciding not to pursue your pro cycling dream must be a difficult moment for any talented young rider, so we were really grateful when Peter agreed to speak about his career and why he decided to hang up his metaphorical wheels.

Peter showed promise as a cyclist from a young age. In his first year as a junior, he took an impressive 6th overall in the Junior Tour of Wales, a race regarded as Britain’s premier junior stage race. He followed that up with a stage win and 4thon GC in the same race.

He started his under-23 career at the Zappi Racing Team, before moving to the Wales Racing Academy, where he stayed for the rest of his career. Despite injury troubles, Peter continued to show his promise. Last season he finished second in the early season Betty Pharoah road race to Connor Swift and came close to bagging top tens in National Road Series races. He also produced an aggressive ride at the notoriously tough Tour de Bretagne stage race, coming close to securing the polka dot jersey.

We interviewed Peter for the website at the beginning of the year, ahead of his final year as an under-23. It’s a time in rider’s career when the pressure can mount, with riders often seeing as their last opportunity to snag a pro contract. Indeed, Peter described 2020 as a make or break season for him.

He made the best possible start, taking two wins from two races – the Evesham Vale road race and the Betty Pharoah - before lockdown arrived.

Then, at the end of May, Peter announced his decision to retire, declaring he no longer had the inner drive required to chase his dream of turning pro.

It was a brave decision for a rider who had been showing such great form and so we were keen to find out more.

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