31-race winner Francisco Ventoso has announced his retirement from professional cycling after 17 seasons in the peloton.

The 38-year-old Spaniard, who was a member of the CCC team last year, has decided to retire after waiting until the New Year, having not signed a contract for 2021.

"After 17 seasons, the time has come to put an end to my professional career. There have been many great moments and many not so great moments, all of which have left an indelible mark on my memory and made me who I am today," he wrote in a statement.

Ventoso returned to the professional ranks in 2004 and spent four years with Saunier Duval, winning a stage at the Vuelta a España, before moving to the Andalucía-Caja Sur team in 2008 after testing positive for the diuretic furosemide, which acts as a masking agent, He received a nine-month doping ban. He then made a comeback with the small Italian team "Carmiolo" and won nine races in two years, including stage wins at Paris-Brussels and Ruta del Sol.

This earned him a ticket to the World Tour with Movistar, where he stayed for six years and achieved his greatest success. He took a stage win in his debut Tour Down Under, and then won back-to-back stage victories at the Giro d'Italia in 2011 and 2012 to claim the Spanish road race title. Ventoso's last victory came in the 2012 Tour du Poitou-Charentes.

He joined the CCC team (then BMC Racing) in 2017 and became an important part of Greg Van Avermaet's classics, helping the Belgian win Paris-Roubaix, Ghent-Wevelgem, and Omloop-Het Nuusblad. He was also active in the Giro and Vuelta, bringing his total number of Grand Tour victories to 18. Ventoso's last race was the Vuelta a España, where he was forced to retire on stage 5.

"I want to thank all the people who have helped me over the past 17 years, especially the soignées of the teams I have ridden for. They are not in the spotlight, but they push us to get everything we need," Ventoso said.

"I also want to thank my coaches, who have trusted me over the years and allowed me to participate in some of the best races in the world," Ventoso said.

"Finally, and most importantly, I also thank my family. They have always been there for me, even when the phone didn't ring very often or when things were bad. They have always had my back and because of them I have been able to fulfill my dreams for 17 years.

Ventoso did not reveal his future plans, but hinted at his continued involvement in the sport.

"It's not goodbye. Cycling will still be a part of my life and I hope to share all the experience I have gained over the years with the next generation."

"Today marks the beginning of a new chapter and a new and exciting project.