Mountain biker and sometime road racer Annika Langvad has announced her retirement and will not participate in this weekend's UCI Mountain Bike World Championships women's cross-country due to stomach problems.

Langvad's mountain biking resume is extensive, with a 2016 World Championships cross-country title, five Cape Epic wins, and a victory at the 2015 Leadville 100, as well as second overall on the World Cup in both 2016 and 2018.

The 36-year-old also rode the 2019 road season with Dutch team Boels Dolmans, finishing second in Strade Bianche, fourth in Amstel Gold, and third in Flèche Wallonne. He was also Danish road race champion in 2010, won three national time trial titles, and finished sixth in the time trial at the 2013 World Championships.

Langvad thanked Specialized and many other people and sponsors who have supported him for most of his professional career, both on-road and off-road, and expressed his amazement at what he has been able to accomplish in his career.

"I have been able to seize many opportunities and turn some of them into experiences and accomplishments that I never would have dreamed of. [These 10 years of racing will probably be the most intense time of my entire life.

"This weekend was supposed to be my last World Championship. Sadly, since Nove Mesto (MTB World Cup), my stomach has been in a bad way and I was too weak to make it to the start line. I wish my teammates and all the riders a great race," she wrote.

Annika Langvad's full retirement statement:

So here is the big announcement: I am retiring from professional racing. The time is now. The last ten years of racing have probably been the most intense time of my life.

It has been a roller coaster of emotions leading up to this point, and I have been thinking about what reflections I should share with you all. This was not an overnight decision; it has been in the back of my mind for a long time. First it was 2016 and I went there to finish dental school after the season. But when you're in great shape and wearing the rainbow jersey, it's very easy to keep going for another year.

And thanks to Specialized, there was always a new adventure, and every next season was irresistible. The support and opportunities from Specialized have been absolutely central to my career and I will always be grateful. I have been able to seize many opportunities and turn some of them into experiences and accomplishments that I never would have dreamed of.

I will also forever be grateful to Thomas Bonn for being there for me all along. You have been my rock and without you none of this would have been possible.

After all, I would not want to be without any of these adventures (good or bad) or any of the special people I met along the way. Not a single one. All of them have contributed to who I am and what I am now. But now is the time. I feel content, satisfied, and fine with the way things are. I have done my part. I am ready to move on

This weekend was supposed to be my last World Championships. Sadly, since Nove Mesto, my stomach has been bothering me and I was too weak to make it to the start line. I wish my teammates and all the riders a great race.