After Androni decided not to renew his contract, Kenny van Hummel has been forced into retirement. In an interview with NOS, the Dutchman reflects on his long career.

He would have like to ride for another year. But when at the end of October he was told that his contract with Androni would not be renewed, it was time to reflect for Kenny van Hummel. "I am actually looking forward to seeing another side of life. I have had to sacrifice so much for my cycling career," he tells NOS in an interview.

In the last few months, his manager was lookig for a new team. "I've had conversations, but I've always said I don't want to ride at all levels."

The Danish Cult Energy was still interested and there was contact with the new Dutch Team Roompot. Then he had an offer from a small continental team but for various reasons it came to nothing. "It's good. For me this is an appropriate time to stop. Kenny van Hummel 2.0 has started."

The new Van Hummel can go in different directions. His first idea was to study at the Johan Cruyff Academy. "I had that idea last year when it was difficult for me to find a new team after the demise of Vacansoleil-DCM. Next week I have an interview there for a possible education as a coach."

Van Hummel expects himself to be a good team leader. "One of my best coaches was Merijn Zeeman. He joined Skil-Shimano in 2009 and under him I took big steps. He was a very good mental coach. And I hope to have this kind of quality too."

But the 32-year-old sprinter has more options. "In mid-January, I will have a preliminary discussion with a World Tour team for a job as a coach." That opportunity arose spontaneously. "I talked to someone who said that it was a shame that I just stepped out of the sport. It woul be a loss for cycling. I am now talking with him."

But he does not rule out a completely different carrer. "I am not going to stay inactive for a long time. I want to discover the other side of life and a job is part of that."

Van Hummel also wants to have a family. "I have always postponed it. If you are a rider, you must dare to take risks. And certainly as a sprinter. Then you do not want to touch the brakes because you have a child at home."

In September , he turned 32. "I could still have been riding for a couple of years but at the sme time it is a good age to do something else. It's harder to start a second career when you are 35-36 years old. For me, it was the right time to stop."

In his last year as a rider, he traveled around the world. He rode in Brazil, Malaysia, Azerbaijan and Venezuela. "It was nice. I have seen the world. The most exotic places. And I have done so by doing my profession, or rather my hobby. I wouldn't have been able to do in another job."

In the nine years as a professional, he ahcieved 25 victories.In 2014 he took a special victory in Langkawi ("that was a victory for myself and a thank to the team for the fact that they had given me a contract for 2014") but he also points to his victory in Veenendaal-Veenendaal as a real highlight. "I was able to win that race in my backyard  in 2009. On my training routes. All day I had goosebumps and then I even managed to win."

He also has good memories from a victory in the 2010 Tour of Belgium. "That was a huge boost because for a long time I had been riding with knee problems that started during the 2009 Tour."

He is not too concerned with the lows and the title as "the worst ever climber in the Tour" with which he will always be associated.

"Well, sometimes it is strange. At the National Championships in 2009, I was in the leading group all day. Up to 500 meters before the finish, I was about to win the race until Koos Moerenhout passed me. He launched an attack that nobody could respond to. I was sprinting for silver. That is my real low. Otherwise I would have gone to the Tour as Dutch champion that year. Then I would not have been riding around as an unknown rider for the outsiders and it would have been a very different story."