[20.10 19:28] When Marcus Ljungqvist ended his career after last weekend’s Paris-Tours it was after thorough consideration and most importantly, it was his decision alone. Not even a contract from Lance Armstrong’s new team or Team Saxo Bank where he had his best years can not change the tall, loyal and hardworking Swede’s mind.

“I am very honored to receive offers from Lance and other teams in the autumn of my career. That honor is not reserved all riders at the age of 35. But all things come to an end and after some thinking I decided to say yes to a new challenge. I belive that this a chance you don´t get very often. And who does not want to end his career on the top and even on the world’s best cycling team”, Marcus Ljungqvist asks rhetorically.

Performance wise the last few years have not given the blond Scandinavian major triumphs but statistics are misleading compared to his potential and ability to keep working hard. However, in June he won the Swedish national championship convincingly. In addition, he has worked very hard so others could celebrate big victories – with the team’s result as a main objective. To be a team rider is an honorable task which is highly acclaimed in the peloton:

“I had my fair share of chances to create my own results and in these situations you have to have a little bit of luck on your side. But it has not always been turned in my direction. But still I´ve done some results that I’m very proud of. Many times I’ve also played a role in my teammates’ victories. This year alone, I have helped Gustav Larsson to the overall victory in the Tour de Poitou and Fränk Schleck to become the overall winner of the Tour of Luxembourg and the Paris-Roubaix wins with Stuart and Fabian are also great memories”, says the Swedish rider who won the Tour of Luxembourg in 2002.

In the period from 2000-2002, Marcus Ljungqvist came to Team Fakta after a year on the Italian team, Cantina Tollo. The Danish team with Kim Andersen as a sports director and Kurt-Asle Arvesen as teammate he achieved great victories in the Tour de Normandie, Rheinland-Pfalz Rundfahrt, Paris-Camembert, Tour of Luxembourg and the Route Adelie.

“Marcus made his greatest personal achievements during the years on Team Fakta where he was responsible for the team’s greatest victories along with Kurt-Asle. He has been a stabile all-round rider who is able to do well in all kinds of races with the exception of mountain terrain. The team mentality on Team Saxo Bank and Fakta was a perfect fit for Marcus and he has been an important motor and helper on the road”, says sports director Kim Andersen.

The trio consisting of Andersen, Arvesen and Ljungqvist met again in 2006 on the previous Team CSC (now Team Saxo Bank) where he now chooses to end his career in spite of the opportunity of continuing his career on Team Saxo Bank.

“Obviously, it is a very difficult decision to make but it is important for me to stop on the top of my career. I am going to miss the teammates and the team spirit which is unique on Team Saxo Bank. I would like to thank everyone who helped me throughout my career. On Team Saxo Bank a special thought goes to Kim that brought me to Fakta in 2000 and got my career going. And Kurt-Asle who has also played a big role for me as a good friend outside the life on the road, Last but not least, without Bjarne it would not be possible to look back on these great years on CSC and Saxo Bank”, concludes the Swedish champion who soon is about to come out with the book he and freelance journalist Håkan Edvardsson have been working on for a year.

And that´s what the book is about, a year as a professional cyclist. When the last page has been written, he is really looking forward to going on holiday with his wife and 2½ year old son. Before his new work as a sport director with Team Sky begins. .