Spanish rider David Cañada announced today that he would retire from professional cycling after an unsuccessful search for a new team. The 34-year-old had a career that spanned over 14 years and rode for some of the biggest teams in the sport. He began his career with three years on the Spanish Once squad, and then spent the next three on the powerful Mapei and then Quick Step teams. Unfortunately for Cañada, his biggest win - a battle against skin cancer - ended his career prematurely while under contract with the Fuji-Servetto team last year.
"I would have liked to continue to know how far I could have gone after recovering from the disease," he explained. "It's true that doctors discouraged me from competing again for the risks that are involved, but I was willing to try."
Cañada said he had always intended to continue when he recovered, but there was no longer a place for him on the Footon-Servetto-Fuji squad; something he didn't expect.
His biggest results on the bike were his overall victories in the 2006 Volta a Catalunya and the 2000 Tour of Murcia and Circuit de la Sarthe. The Spaniard said he would like to somehow remain within the sport.