"All good things must come to an end." That is the start of the farwell letter to cycling from Fredrik Kessiakoff who rode for Astana in 2014.

"It is today with no regrets that I am announcing my retirement from professional cycling. After two years filled with injuries and health problems I have failed to find a team for 2015 on a level that I find inspiring and I therefore think it is the right time for me to move on," he writes on his website.

"I look back on a 15-year long journey with the bronze medal at the 2006 MTB Worlds, the MTB World Cup race victory in Maribor 2007, winning the Tour of Austria overall 2011, wearing the polka-dot jersey at the 2012 Tour de France and the stage win at the Vuelta Espana 2012 as highlights.

"I would like to take this opportunity to especially thank my girlfriend Maria for her endless support, sacrifices and encouragement, Gustav Larsson for never saying no to training and my family for always being there. Thank you also to my fans, sponsors and teammates.

"I am looking forward to a second career. Exactly what that is, is still to be discovered."

Kessiakoff achieved the biggest success of his career in 2012 when the won the individual time trial in the Vuelta a Espana by beating Alberto Contador and Chris Froome. That year he also won the time trial in the Tour de Suisse - ahead of Fabian Cancellara - and was fifth at the World Championships time trial. He wore the polka dot jersey in the Tour de France for a few days that same year.  One year earlier the time trial specialist won the Tour of Austria overall after having taken a stage along the way. 

Kessiakoff only turned pro in 2009 when he signed a contract with the Fuji-Servetto team. Earlier, he was mainly a mountain biker with several Swedish titles on his palmares. He achieved several places of honour in the overall World Cup. In 2010, he joined Garmin-Transitions before he rode for four years at Astana.