Take23 hours ago
Al Sayegh retires; two accounts give two different reasons
Safiya Al Sayegh, 25, has ended her professional cycling career after 10 years in the sport. Her Instagram post names religion and the rules on female attire as the reason. Emarat Al Youm reports she cited her marriage and a new phase of life.
What this means
The UAE development team she rode for is closing, and the women's peloton loses its only hijabi rider.
In her Instagram post she writes that she took the decision «in sake of obedience to Allah and the rules of my religion upon female attire». She also describes «an identity crisis» over the past couple of years. Emarat Al Youm's headline carries a different line: «marriage changed my priorities... and I will not leave sport». That report says she intends to keep serving Emirati sport from another position. UAE Team L'Imad, the development team she moved to in 2026, is closing at the end of this season. The team announced on 2026-10-05 that it will not continue as a separate UCI Women's Continental Team for 2027. Al Sayegh is the women's peloton's only hijabi rider.
Sources
'What feels wrong deep in my heart can't keep going on' – Peloton's only hijabi rider quits cycling for religious reasonsصفية الصايغ تعلن اعتزال الدراجات: الزواج غيّر أولوياتي.. ولن أترك الرياضةSafiya Alsayegh retires from cycling after 10-year journey in the sportUAE Team L'IMAD shutter development squad amid ongoing turbulence
Analysed 4 sources, written and summarised with AI · How we work