Australian cyclist Nick Gates has decided to retire from professional cycling. After a long career spent as a domestique helping others achieve their goals, the 36-year-old will be doing much of the same with his launch of the Nick Gates Foundation.
The foundation is an initiative by the rider to help kids from his rural area of North Queensland to have the same opportunities with cycling as the children who live near the big cities. Gates, who also lost his mother Sandra to cancer two years ago, will also use his foundation to help further cancer research.
The riders best friend, training partner, and teammate for six years probably summed Gates up best when he told Goldcoast.com.au, “Nick has always been a loyal teammate and friend whether I’ve won or lost, often waiting for me during mountain stages of the Tour de France and then riding his heart out to pace me to the finish line in time. It’s hard to put into words how much I appreciate the hard work Nick has done over the years to help me win races.”
Gates last race as a professional will fittingly be the Nick Gates Classic along Townsville’s The Strand in Northern Queensland. The race will be the first of what he hopes will be a yearly race to raise money for his new foundation. Several world and national champions have confirmed for the race, including McEwen, Cadel Evans, Matthew Lloyd and Henk Vogels – the best of the best from down under.