De Lis retires from cycling

Sergio De Lis has surprisingly decided to quit Euskaltel and the sport altogether at the tender age of 24. The San Sebastián native joined Euskaltel ahead of last season at just 22 years of age after having spent a successful season at feeder-team Orbea. Sergio apparently made his mind up on the matter just before the Tour de France got underway. Igor González de Galdeano did his best to change his young charge's mind but there was nothing he could do or say to convince Sergio to keep riding. His contract was up at the end of the year but, according to El Diario Vasco, he would have gotten another one-year contract. It's said Sergio decided to hang up the wheels due to family commitments, something Galdeano neither confirmed nor denied. Remaining coy on the matter, all Galdeano would say was that "Sergio's behaviour and relationship with the team and his team-mates have always been good. He's been a disciplined and serious rider who did what he was told to do. I tried to convince him to keep on riding but there was no way." The under-23 Basque road race champ and junior national champion in the Madison no faces a life off the bike to everyone's amazement.