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Stannard has been with the hugely successful
British outfit since it was launched as Team Sky in 2010 and was
an integral part of five Grand Tour winning lineups.
"It's disappointing to have to stop like this but it is clearly
the right decision for my health and my family," the 33-year-old
Stannard said.
"We have explored all of the options this year to deal with my
condition, and the team has been there with me every step of the
way. I started to hope that I could manage the problem during
lockdown, but as soon as I returned to racing I knew that my
body wouldn't be able to perform at any level anymore."
Stannard, a graduate of British Cycling's academy alongside the
likes of Geraint Thomas and Mark Cavendish, was best-known for
his success in the one-day Classics.
He won back-to-back editions of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in 2014
and 2015 and placed third at Paris-Roubaix in 2016.
"Ian is a rider who gives so much to the race and his team mates
and we all know that he always leaves it all out there on the
road," Ineos Grenadiers principal Dave Brailsford said.
"He is one of the hardest, grittiest riders there is, whether
racing hard on the cobbles of Belgium or pulling on the front at
the Tour de France."
(Editing by Angus MacSwan)
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