Karsten Kroon will end his 18-year career at the end of the season.

“When I think about it now, I cannot imagine that I will ride next year,” the Tinkoff-Saxo rider said on the Dutch television show De Avondetappe on Friday evening.

Kroon rode for many teams, including Rabobank, where he won a Tour de France stage in 2002, BMC, CSC and Tinkoff-Saxo. He was also second in the 2009 Amstel Gold Race.

“Cycling is my life. It has made me. It has brought me everything I have. I absolutely love the sport, but I realize also that it is over at a given moment. Then you need to stop,” he said.

Kroon (38), who is not riding any Grand Tours this year, still has a full race calendar for the remainder of the season. His next race is the Eneco Tour in August, “and I will also ride in China and Japan. I’m still very busy.”