--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have decided to give up competition. I…" description: "\"I have decided to give up competition. I cannot train properly for the Tour de France which I had hoped to ride for the last time as apotheosis to my c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/eddy-merckx-7014_career_i-have-decided-to-give-up-competition-i_3084067.jpg" --- # I have decided to give up competition. I cannot train… ![“I have decided to give up competition. I cannot train properly for the Tour de France which I had hoped to ride for the last time as apotheosis to my career. Doctors are forbidding me to ride anymore in high level competition and I bow to them.” quote by Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/eddy-merckx-7014_career_i-have-decided-to-give-up-competition-i_3084067.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/eddy-merckx-7014_career_i-have-decided-to-give-up-competition-i_3084067.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/eddy-merckx-7014_career_i-have-decided-to-give-up-competition-i_3084067.jpg) > “I have decided to give up competition. I cannot train properly for the Tour de France which I had hoped to ride for the last time as apotheosis to my career. Doctors are forbidding me to ride anymore in high level competition and I bow to them.” [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The athlete chooses to quit high‑level competition due to medical advice, ending his career with a symbolic final race. **In simple terms:** He stops racing because doctors say it's unsafe. Key Takeaway Accept health limits and transition to new goals. Themes health career acceptance legacy sports Mood reflective resolute Type personal career When to use this quote - post‑career planning - medical decision making - public statements Key Concepts risk management career transition personal identity Questions to Reflect On - What new purpose will you pursue after retirement? - How can athletes prepare for forced career changes? A Different Perspective Health constraints may cause regret over unfinished ambitions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Train](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/train/) ## Related quotes > [After his success in the Tour of Italy and Tour de France in the same year, Pantani certainly made mistakes - but he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/after-his-success-in-the-tour-of-italy-and-tour-de-france-in-the-same/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [The only event that counts is the Tour, it's the only race that all the media go to. It's far more important than it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/the-only-event-that-counts-is-the-tour-it-s-the-only-race-that-all/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [Absolutely, in stage races, Froome is better than Eddy Merckx. Maybe he can win five, six Tours de France, but my focus wasn't only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/absolutely-in-stage-races-froome-is-better-than-eddy-merckx-maybe-he/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [Everything being equal, no sickness or crashes, there's nobody who can beat Lance Armstrong at the Tour de France.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/everything-being-equal-no-sickness-or-crashes-there-s-nobody-who-can/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [Truth is, a triathlete won the Tour de France seven times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-armstrong/truth-is-a-triathlete-won-the-tour-de-france-seven-times/) [Lance Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-armstrong/) > [I am working as public relations director for the Tour de France and maintaining my farm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-hinault/i-am-working-as-public-relations-director-for-the-tour-de-france-and/) [Bernard Hinault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-hinault/) > [The Tour de France is a different kettle of fish to what I do, but it doesn't matter what you do - if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hoy/the-tour-de-france-is-a-different-kettle-of-fish-to-what-i-do-but-it/) [Chris Hoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hoy/) > [“...bright-shirted racers of the Tour de France zoomed by like fantastically bicycling macaws.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-o-neill/bright-shirted-racers-of-the-tour-de-france-zoomed-by-like/) [Joseph O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-o-neill/) > [There were no shortcuts, I realized. It took years of racing to build up the mind and body and character until a rider had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-armstrong/there-were-no-shortcuts-i-realized-it-took-years-of-racing-to-build/) [Lance Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-armstrong/) > [I have contacts with the Tour de France which keep me close to cycling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-hinault/i-have-contacts-with-the-tour-de-france-which-keep-me-close-to-cycling/) [Bernard Hinault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-hinault/) > [I wanted to win the Tour de France. And when I won it once, I wanted to do it again, and again, and again,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-armstrong/i-wanted-to-win-the-tour-de-france-and-when-i-won-it-once-i-wanted-to/) [Lance Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-armstrong/) > [You can't ride the Tour de France on mineral water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-anquetil/you-can-t-ride-the-tour-de-france-on-mineral-water/) [Jacques Anquetil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-anquetil/) > [“Tour de France riders need to eat the equivalent of 27 cheeseburgers a day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lloyd/tour-de-france-riders-need-to-eat-the-equivalent-of-27-cheeseburgers/) [John Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lloyd/) > [I want to strip you like an undeserved Tour de France title.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-want-to-strip-you-like-an-undeserved-tour-de-france-title/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Creating a top team and being in a position to win the Tour de France will give me a nice feeling. But I know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-alonso/creating-a-top-team-and-being-in-a-position-to-win-the-tour-de-france/) [Fernando Alonso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-alonso/) ## More by Eddy Merckx > [You need talent as a rider and I think I had that in my genes. But I think I also had a talent for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/you-need-talent-as-a-rider-and-i-think-i-had-that-in-my-genes-but-i/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [Absolutely, in stage races, Froome is better than Eddy Merckx. Maybe he can win five, six Tours de France, but my focus wasn't only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/absolutely-in-stage-races-froome-is-better-than-eddy-merckx-maybe-he/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [I didn't win any bunch sprints. But I won in solo breakaways, I won time-trials, I won in the mountains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/i-didn-t-win-any-bunch-sprints-but-i-won-in-solo-breakaways-i-won/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [I always had and I still have that special desire in me to be the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/i-always-had-and-i-still-have-that-special-desire-in-me-to-be-the-best/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [I'm not saying that every time I race I go to the very limit of my strength. But when the opportunity appears I consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/i-m-not-saying-that-every-time-i-race-i-go-to-the-very-limit-of-my/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [I can tell you I preferred my era. Yes, they make much more money now but I preferred my cycling. 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It makes you hard and gives you ambition, but you can never say you've arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/cycling-is-a-good-school-for-life-it-makes-you-hard-and-gives-you/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [The most important thing is that you're the best of your generation and I can say that I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/the-most-important-thing-is-that-you-re-the-best-of-your-generation/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [Sometimes it's strange being me. I travel the world meeting people, I'm surrounded with friends and my life is full, but all the time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/sometimes-it-s-strange-being-me-i-travel-the-world-meeting-people-i-m/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [I think I was three or four when I first rode and four when I first crashed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/i-think-i-was-three-or-four-when-i-first-rode-and-four-when-i-first/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [No sport is 100 per cent clean - I think 95 per cent of the cyclists are clean. In the normal world, not everybody is clean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/no-sport-is-100-per-cent-clean-i-think-95-per-cent-of-the-cyclists/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [Miracles can sometimes happen in cycling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/miracles-can-sometimes-happen-in-cycling/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) [Explore all 95 Eddy Merckx quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) ## More Career quotes > [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. You are the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-james/don-t-allow-anyone-to-pressure-you-into-taking-a-job-in-a-field-that/) Alison James > [In every province, the chief occupations, in order of importance, are lovemaking, malicious gossip, and talking nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/in-every-province-the-chief-occupations-in-order-of-importance-are/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [One needs more than ambition and talent to make a success of anything, really. 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In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-am-a-very-big-fan-of-brian-eno-of-his-work-as-an-artist-and-making/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [If I can beat a proven champion like Canelo, that will take my career to a different level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennady-golovkin/if-i-can-beat-a-proven-champion-like-canelo-that-will-take-my-career/) [Gennady Golovkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennady-golovkin/) > [My non-career. My excuse for a career? Honestly, I never think about the word 'career.' I've had managers, the minute they say it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-verlaine/my-non-career-my-excuse-for-a-career-honestly-i-never-think-about-the/) [Tom Verlaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-verlaine/) > [“The vocation of a man lies in his vision.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-vocation-of-a-man-lies-in-his-vision/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [I started off as a model maker, so the first part of my career was a model maker and then a motion control camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/i-started-off-as-a-model-maker-so-the-first-part-of-my-career-was-a/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [Growing up I did commercials and things like that, but nothing serious. As I got older, my family is really hardcore into academics. 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