November 9/12 8:50 am - Jamie Sparling Retires

Posted by Editoress on 11/9/12
 

Canadian road pro Jamie Sparling has decided to retire.  When the British-based Continental level Team Raleigh released their rider list for 2013, we noticed that Sparling's name was missing, after having ridden for them in the past two seasons (as previously reported, Rob Britton has joined the team for next year).  Sparling subsequently confirmed by e-mail that he has decided to retire from pro cycling.

"I decided to walk away from competitive cycling this week. As I am sure any cyclist knows, this was a very hard decision, but one that feels right. I got on great with the Raleigh organization but living in the UK, far away from family and friends, for another year seemed a bit much. That, combined with being an 'old-foreigner', limited my options in North America. I applied for a few “real jobs” in Victoria, and when I got one, I took it."

"Cycling has been a great experience and I am grateful for all the experiences and people that I have met. I wish Team Raleigh (and Rob Britton) all the best in 2013!"