A year after winning a third America's Cup with Team New Zealand, international cyclist turned groundbreaking sailor Simon van Velthooven has announced his retirement from professional sport.

Van Velthooven won a bronze medal in keirin at the 2012 London Olympics and three world championship medals on the cycling track before being recruited by Team New Zealand for the 2017 America's Cup challenge.

Team New Zealand were helped to victory over Team USA that year in Bermuda by their four cyclors, sailors who furiously pedalled stationary bikes to produce the power that controlled the hoisting and trimming of the boat's sails.

Van Velthooven was retained for the successful defence of the "Auld Mug" in 2021 even though foot-power was banned and Team New Zealand along with the rest of the fl

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