Cycling moves fast. One second you’re the talk of the town, and the next you’re a has-been. In 2021 and 2022, a young Ethan Hayter, only 22 and 23 at the time, was regularly winning stages and general classifications of second-tier stage races and going head-to-head with – and occasionally beating – Wout van Aert and a Julian Alaphilippe in his pomp. Winning reduced sprints, triumphing in time trials and getting over climbs, Hayter epitomised the modern-day cyclist – he was a jack-of-all-trades.

A new, improved contract with Ineos until the end of the 2024 season was meant to herald more victories, but that didn’t really happen. Instead, two broken collarbones in 2023, an increased focus on the track – he won his second Olympic silver medal in the team pursuit last August – and an increased sense of discontentment and unhappiness at Ineos saw his road career drift. “Racing started to feel more and more like a job,” he has previously commented.

Turning 26 and entering the supposed peak years of his career, last autumn Hayter was offered a two-year deal by Soudal–Quick-Step. It didn’t take the current British champion long to accept the proposal; after a few years of being comparatively anonymous on the road, he’s ready to return to the top. 

This article was published by Rouleur in March 2025. You can read the full article here.