Brent Bookwalter (Team BikeExchange) will retire at the end of the 2021 season after his 10th and final race at the USA Cycling Pro Road Championships this week.

A 16-year veteran of the pro peloton and 14 years with two WorldTour teams, Bookwalter has raced in all three Grand Tours, competing a total of 11 times; in 2011, he was part of the BMC Racing team that helped Cadel Evans win the Tour de France

His own career has included racing in all three Grand Tours.

Defining his career to Cycling News as a testament to his "versatility and tenacity," he has earned numerous podium finishes in international races and US championships, representing the US at the 2016 Rio Olympics, finishing 23rd in the time trial and 16th in the road race.

"It's a big decision and one I've thought about for a long time. I told the team at the end of the season that I wanted to move on and they were very supportive," the 37-year-old told Cyclingnews of his choice to retire, which was the result of "deliberation" that resulted from conversations with family and friends in addition to Team BikeExchange.

"They are a little disappointed that I am moving on, but they understand and appreciate what I have brought to the organization over the last few years. Ultimately, I made my decision at the end of the season.

"It's a time of transition, it's a time to move on, it's a time to take the next step, it's a time to call a victory in my career. I'm proud of what I've done and excited about the opportunity I've got.

Its future is still unclear, including the US Pro Road Championships in Knoxville and continuing its European campaign with Team BikeExchange through September or October.

"The team has a pretty packed schedule for the rest of the season. I feel like I have quite a bit to offer the team in terms of my experience and skill set, and I'm excited to continue to offer that to the team and the road," he said from his home in Asheville, North Carolina

. He said he will not be a member of the Tour and will not participate in the Vuelta, but will continue to do one-day races and short stage races.

"The team is really strong in the young rider department. I am proud of the times I have made in these races. There are a lot of memories, battle scars, tears and glory.

"This represents my career, I have no home races or fairy-tale endings. I am proud and I think I did well as an American rider living in Europe. I did all the international races and the Grand Tours. I've done most of the one-day classic races and most of the week-long stage races. I have built my career on diversity, adaptability, and doing it all. There should be no reason why I can't finish races that way."

"Unless I can return to racing in Maryland, the US Pro Nationals will very likely be my last race in the US. The team is on board (for the Maryland Cycling Classic), but I have mixed feelings about crossing the Atlantic for a one-day race."

Bookwalter received permission from Team Bike Exchange after the Criterium du Dauphiné race to return to the US this month so that he and his wife Jamie can receive their COVID-19 vaccination and so that he can compete in the US Pro.

Back over 15 years ago, he won his first major championships as a junior at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships and the UCI Cyclocross World Championships; in 2006, he won gold at the U.S. U23 Time Trial Championships and began his career as a road racer He is also a member of the U.S. National Team and the U.S. National Team. Since his first appearance in the US Pro Road Championships two years later, he has placed in the top 10 five times in nine road races and has never finished lower than fourth in six time trial events. However, he has never won a US Pro race.

"I've been running in the US Pro Championships for a long time, and when I think back to my first year in US Pro, I can recall my career, my position on the team, and how far I've come and grown. It gave me a better understanding of the responsibility I have as a US pro cyclist to do my best and give it all for the jersey, and not just a chance to race," Bookwalter recalled.

"Even if the jersey never materialized, I look back at the many occasions I made the podium in TTs and road races. I think it's a testament to my versatility and tenacity."

He said his strengths are also his weaknesses and the reason he has yet to win a US Pro title. So this year, he said, he will focus only on road racing and "this time I will concentrate on participating in races and being with people in the community."

"If I had specialized in a particular course or a particular year, I might have had more of a chance in either (TT or road race), but I'm proud of that consistency and continued good results," Bookwalter told Cycling News.

"My body, mind, and skills are different from when I first competed in the All-Japan. I plan to use all of my skills and depth."

Bookwalter began his WorldTour career with the US-based BMC Racing team.

"I was fortunate in my early races with the BMC Racing Team. The team manager, Gavin Chilcott, was integral in bringing me to America. He always said, 'It's the right thing to do.'"

"It's not always convenient with the European racing program, but it's the right thing to do out of respect for the sport, for USA Cycling, and for the young juniors and U23 riders who want to go pro and dream of a career for themselves."

Reflecting on his days around the world with the pro peloton, Bookwalter said he enjoyed stage racing in the US the most.

"It has been an honor to compete and perform well in high-level races in the US during my career. I would put Utah, Colorado, and California at the top of that list," said Bookwalter, who finished second overall at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge (2015), third overall at the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah (2015), third overall at the Amgen Tour of California (2016) and third overall at the Amgen Tour of California (2016).

"At the top of the heap would be a chance at the World Championships in Richmond a few years ago. My hometown growing up was in western North Carolina, which was pretty close. It was a rare opportunity to be in the same time zone but have the world come to us and have family there. And it was also preparation for the 2016 Olympics. [It coincided with his wife Jamie's (Team Colavita) pro cycling career, "I was able to attend the TT Recon with my wife and talk about it with her through the corners.

Bookwalter, for whom this will be his final US Pro race, is ready, but not quite done.

"Knoxville this year means a lot. I have nothing to lose, it's just one day, and everyone wants to come out on top. I'm looking forward to the experience of racing in front of my family."