Juanma Garate proudly says goodbye to professional cycling after a 15-year career a career that has passed "much faster than I could imagine" and have left him with "many wonderful moments." "It is time to say goodbye," he confirmed in a letter that he published in Donostia-San Sebastián "under circumstances that are somewhat different from the dream situation."

Juan Manuel Garate Cepa has decided to put an end to his career. "Even the best stories have an end. I had often heard that the time of retirement is never easy. Indeed it is not," he wrote in his letter. "Time passes quickly and December 31 will mark 15 years at the pinnacle of world cycling. That's more than I could imagine."

The 38-year-old Spaniard draws a positive balance despite a 2014 season in which Belkin kept him out of compeitition. He won stages in all three grand tours, was the Spanish road race champion in 2005 and finished fourth in the 2002 Giro and fifth in the 2005 edition of the Italian race. "Like everything begins, everything has to come to an end. And I think it's time to say goodbye. My retirement comes in a slightly different situation but I have still had many wonderful moments in this sport and those are the ones that I will remember for the rest of my life," he writes.

Garate has done no less than 26 grand tours during his time with Lampre (2000-2004), Saunier Duval (2005), Quick Step (2006-2008), Rabobank (2009-2012) and Belkin (2013-2014). "Now it is the time to say goodbye to all professional riders, but the person Juanma Garate is proud of all these people who have tuned this unimaginable experience into reality," he writes.

Garate also recalled how he felt his passion for cycling. "It all started by accident when I was preparing sandwiches, cleaning the bike to get ready to watch our idols on theJaizkibel and collecting trading cards of my idols. Graudally it turned into a wonderful story. That dream became reality on October 26, 1999," he says.

Finally, he wanted to highlight the "unconditional love" of his family and those who have supported him.