Double Olympic champion Philip Hindes has announced his retirement from competitive cycling at the age of 29.
Hindes was a part of the 2012 Great Britain gold medal-winning sprint team along with Sir Chris Hoy and Jason Kenny - which saw him make headlines with a controversial crash - before finishing atop the podium again in Rio four years later.
The German-born athlete received an MBE in 2013 for services to cycling, but he has now announced that his days of racing in the velodrome are over as he looks ahead to cheering on the next generation of British cyclists.
Hindes wrote on Instagram: "This is a moment that comes in every Athletes career and this is the end of mine! I will be retiring from Competitive Cycling and pursue a new Chapter and career in my life!
"Having been a cyclist for so long has been incredible, and I have really lived and loved my career. My career highlights have to be my Olympic gold medals from London 2012 and Rio 2016, but also I've met some of my best friends on the team, and in cycling in general, so this has been the best bit of my cycling career.
"I would like to thank all the people and @britishcycling that have been part on my journey, I owe a lot to them, and I can't thank them enough. I'm proud of what I've achieved and it's time to enjoy life as a spectator!"
As well as his two golds at the Olympic Games, Hindes took two silver medals at the Commonwealth Games and one at the 2018 World Championships.
Ben Knapton
