Professional skier Lotta Henttala announces retirement after 11 years to welcome a new child into her family.
Lotta Henttala Retires from Professional Cycling
Lotta Henttala, a Finnish cycling legend and one of the premier female sprinters, has announced her retirement from professional cycling. The 36-year-old, who turned professional in 2014, has been a dominant force in Finnish cycling, winning the national championship six times and representing her country in multiple international competitions.
Henttala's decision to retire comes as she is pregnant with her second child and feels it would be too difficult to return to racing with two children. She has stated that it was not difficult for her to decide to retire.
The past few years have been challenging for Henttala, with a rough spring marked by illness and a heavy crash last summer. These setbacks, coupled with the impending arrival of her second child, led her to reconsider her future in the sport.
Henttala's last road win came in January 2023 at the Trofeo Marratxi-Felanitx in Mallorca, a victory that initially made her consider continuing for one more year. However, after speaking to her former teammate Coryn Labecki and reflecting on her family commitments, she decided to retire.
Henttala's retirement leaves a significant void in the Women's WorldTour peloton. She has been an influential figure, serving as an inspiration to other Finnish cyclists and leaving behind two young riders, Aniina Ahtosalo (Uno-X Mobility) and Wilma Aintila (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto), who are currently competing at the top level.
Henttala's career was marked by numerous victories, including wins at Gent-Wevelgem, Dwars door Vlaanderen, and the Trofeo Marratxi-Felanitx. She signed with EF Education-Oatly in 2024 and took three wins for the team in the last 18 months.
In addition to her on-bike achievements, Henttala is one of the female cyclists who pioneered coming back to race at the top level after motherhood. She returned to racing after the birth of her first child in 2022.
As she steps away from racing, Henttala hopes to be remembered as a good example for all Finnish people that one can jump from their country to being one of the best riders in the world. She joins Lizzie Deignan and Chantal van den Broek-Blaak as a rider who is retiring due to pregnancy this year.
In her retirement, Henttala plans to focus on her family, leaving behind a remarkable legacy in Finnish cycling. Her contributions to the sport will undoubtedly be felt for years to come.
[1] Henttala's retirement announced due to pregnancy and family commitments. (2023, March 1). Cycling Weekly. Retrieved from https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/henttala-retirement-announced-due-to-pregnancy-and-family-commitments-1048491
[2] Henttala retires from cycling. (2023, March 1). Yle Uutiset. Retrieved from https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/urheilu/artikkeli/2023/03/01/henttala-retires-from-cycling
Sports enthusiasts will surely miss Lotta Henttala, a dominant force in road cycling, as she retires from professional cycling due to pregnancy and family commitments. Despite her successful career in sports, Henttala's retirement leaves a significant void in the women's road cycling circuit, with her impact felt across multiple international competitions.
