Peter Stetina announced Wednesday that he is leaving the WorldTour to focus on gravel and ultra-endurance mountain bike racing. Stetina told Cycling News that he would leave Trek-Segafredo in October, but at the time he was not ready to make his plans public.

Stetina posted images of her time competing in the World Tour with Garmin, BMC, and Trek-Segafredo on her Instagram page. He also posted a photo of himself being treated by medics after a devastating crash in the first stage of the 2015 Vuelta Ciclista al País Vasco.

It took Stetina four months to recover from this crash, which fractured his kneecap and tibia. He then contracted the Epstein-Barr virus during the 2018 season and was close to retirement until he received the late relief of a contract extension with Trek Segafredo.

This season, Stetina mixed a full World Tour season with an alternative calendar of gravel races, including a top 10 at the Tour of Utah and a 28th place finish at the Vuelta a España.

At the Tour of Guangxi, the final stop on the World Tour, Stetinta expressed his delight in racing off-road when asked about his future.

"It's been a really fun year," he said. This year has been more fun than the last few years." I've had more fun this year than the last few years, I've had good fitness all year, I've done adventure races, I've had a good Vuelta, I've had a good season. It's been a good season.

"Gravel is like the new excitement on the American scene. I grew up mountain biking and was always riding off-road in training and in the off-season.

In a post on her Instagram, Stetina emphasized that the move was not a retirement.

"Ultimately, this is a move for freshness, joy, progress, and longevity. It is not retirement as some traditionalists think," he wrote. Rather, "I am committed to the burgeoning world of gravel racing and being a bike racer of all tire widths. Although my first step away from the World Tour was scary, I am convinced it was the right choice and will be more fulfilling and hopefully more successful.

"I love the atmosphere of this race: the personal battles, the battles with the other racers, the joint post-race celebrations. I want to represent a brand that values this and immerse myself in this world. This is my happy place."