Talented teenage riders Gabriel Berg and Cormac Nisbet gave up their dreams of racing professionally and left the Suredal Quick Step development team.

Fortunately, both had the courage to quit racing before they ran into any major problems. Both were grateful to the Söldahl Quickstep development team for their support both during their racing career and after they made the decision to leave the team.

In recent years, as teams search for the next Tadej Pogachar or Remco Evenpoel and sign riders directly from the junior ranks, the riders have dedicated their lives to racing and training at an ever younger age to pursue their dreams. For some teenagers it has been traumatic.

Berg, from Montigny-le-Bretonneux, a suburb of Paris, described his emotional insecurity in a long interview with L'Equipe magazine on Friday. Cormac Nisbet, from England, announced on Instagram a few weeks ago that his professional dreams were over.

“I was faced with the fact that the lifestyle I dreamed of as a child was no longer the future I wanted to pursue.

“As a result, I decided to leave this level of racing and subsequently we both agreed to step down from the Sudar Quickstep Devo team with immediate effect.”

Nisbet finished third in the 2023 Junior Tour of Wales and was already racing in Europe thanks to the Zappi Racing team. His professional dreams faded during the 2024 season, but he could recall good memories of his short racing career.

“Ever since I can remember, I had one major goal in life: to become a professional cyclist. No matter what happened outside of that goal, cycling gave me the discipline, focus, and isolation to pursue it. It has rewarded me in ways I never knew possible and challenged me to blood, hurt, and tears,” he writes.

“Cycling is like a roller coaster, with fewer highs than lows. But every moment, good and bad, has made me a stronger and greater person. I am very grateful. I am also immensely grateful to my wonderful mentors. Those who guided me through the tough times, those who gave me a chance when many others did not, and those who gave me faith.

Nisbet is grateful to his family, friends, coaches, and the Sudar Quickstep Devo team. On his LinkedIn page, he reveals that he is already working as a Trainee Associate Consultant for Insider Pro's business consulting firm and aspires to be a long-distance triathlete by 2025.

“I can't wait for one chapter to end and a new one to begin. Here's to cycling “and he” concluded his message with “❤️. This indicates that he quit during his love affair with cycling.

Berg spoke to L'Equipe and wrote on his Instagram that he decided to quit the sport before the fear and pressure of the sport consumed him. He now hopes to race at the local level in 2025.

“I made the decision to quit cycling at the highest level and return to the cycling I loved, with fewer headaches, fewer constraints, and perhaps more joy,” Berg wrote.

“I love cycling and it has always been my dream to be a pro, but this year I realized that it was not necessarily for me due to many sacrifices, time away from loved ones, frequent crashes, constant strain, and little time to do anything else.”

Berg spoke to L'Equipe about seeing other riders seriously injured in crashes and how the deaths of former teammates Thomas Bouquet and Andre Dreguet affected him.

Berg broke his wrist in the summer, and the weeks away gave him time to reflect on his career.

Berg told L'Equipe, “Today it's their fault. My body is damaged, I have scars that will last a lifetime.” In a race in Belgium last July, he fell four times during the 10 km. It was a little scary.”

Berg's life revolved around cycling.

“Age had a lot to do with my decision to quit; at 18 I wasn't ready. I didn't have the maturity to put everything aside for cycling. I didn't know how to turn my passion into a career.

“I felt trapped in the routine of cycling, cycling, cycling. I didn't see anyone except for cycling. There was no social life anymore. When friends offered to take me on vacations or hikes, I declined. These little things just add up.”

Berg's last race was the Dwars door Wingen in Belgium on July 13. He crashed before the Tour Alsace, which made him realize that he needed to change his life.

“At first I felt embarrassed because I thought it was a failure. I didn't immediately accept that I couldn't live in that world. But I had the maturity to quit before I got sick of cycling,” he explained.

“The development team doesn't want to miss the next bud, the future Pogachar, the future Evenpoel. So as soon as a junior gets results, they sign him.

“I don't regret my choice. It was a great experience and maybe in a couple of years I'll give it another shot. I'm still going to ride. I'm going to get my amateur license again. I still wear the Quick Step jersey when I go to training.”

“I would tell young riders to make the most of their junior years. And don't give up on your studies. You need something for when things go wrong. It's a career in cycling.”