Frederik Willems of Lotto-Belisol will end his career at the end of the season. "It's been a while decided that I would stop. Injuries have not been the last straw in my decision," said Willems, who will undergo surgery tomorrow after a heavy fall at training early this month.

“Time to say goodbye to my bike! End 2014 I finish my career as pro. Proud the way I rode it & people I worked with. I wouldn’t do it any other way,” he announced to his Twitter followers today.

Willems suffered on 3 August a broken collarbone, a broken scapula, broken ribs and a concussion after a fall in training. But his decision has nothing to do with his heavy fall.

"It's been a while decided that I would stop," said Willems during the live broadcast of the Eneco Tour on Sporza. "Last winter during long workouts, I already told my wife that I did not know if I could do it much longer.”

"The final decision to quit was taken during the Dauphiné Libéré. Injuries have not been the key factor in that decision. I was 13 years a pro and it became increasingly difficult to completely live for my profession".

"My daughter is growing and I keep getting measurable social contacts outside the races. Then you start to think more about life after cycling. I am also 35 years old and then you reach the age of retirement as a top athlete."