Rory Sutherland has put an end to his professional racing career at the age of 38. The Australian's last race as a professional came on the final stage of the Vuelta a España on Sunday, where Sutherland helped teammate Daniel Martin finish fourth overall in Madrid. At the finish of stage 18, Sutherland was surrounded by his teammates, and Martin, who has ridden with Sutherland for the past three years, was the first to put his arm around the soon-to-be retired Sutherland.

Sutherland, an Australian, turned pro in 2005 and has played for many teams, including Rabobank, United Healthcare, Saxo Bank, Movistar, UAE Team Emirates, and most recently Startup Nation in Israel. He worked alongside Martin, Alejandro Valverde, and countless other team leaders, and has developed a reputation as one of the most valuable domestics in the peloton.

"Ultimately, I am proud to have finished my career with this team, with these staff and riders, and since leaving Australia 20 years ago, I could not have said a better goodbye as a professional cyclist. I am excited to move on to the next chapter of my life and spend more time at home with my family," Sutherland said in a short statement sent to Cycling News by the team.

Along with his good times, which included overall victories at the Tour de Beauce and Tour de Gira, Sutherland has endured periods of low form; in 2005, he was suspended after testing positive for clomiphene.

Sutherland returned last winter from a career-threatening broken leg caused by a scooter accident and successfully returned to racing in August, completing over 30 race days. He announced his retirement before the Vuelta a España, and with only a few days remaining, he made it clear that he had no regrets about his decision.

"The time has come for me to end my career. I am not unhappy or miserable with this team, because I am not a member of this team. I learned a different way of loving cycling at Israel Startup Nation." When asked if he was nervous about his future and life after pro cycling, the 38-year-old seemed relaxed and excited about the next chapter of his life.

"I am not a typical pro cyclist. I run two cafes, one in Girona and one in Barcelona. It's not that I don't focus on training and racing, but I enjoy external things at the same time. So I'm not worried about what comes after. I have a few things going on and now I can focus more on my family. I can ride my bike and do things I haven't been able to do for the last 20 years."

"I've been able to do some things that I haven't been able to do for the last 20 years.