Greg Van Avermaet may have retired as a road cyclist, but that doesn’t mean the now 40-year-old Belgian is taking it easy these days. He remains active in the gravel scene and has transformed himself into a triathlete. And with success, as on Sunday he even became world champion in this challenging discipline.
The former pro was one of the highlights at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Marbella, Spain on Sunday. Van Avermaet had already qualified for the event last year at the Knokke triathlon. In the lead-up to the World Championships, he was already aiming for a podium spot—in his age group, that is, for athletes aged 40 to 44.
In June, he made an impression at the 70.3 Ironman in Nice. Van Avermaet finished second overall, but was the best in his age category. After the Ironman in Nice, the Rio Olympic road champion prepared for the World Championship in Marbella under the Spanish sun. He often trained with Mathieu van der Poel, who is in Spain preparing for his cyclocross campaign.
Once a pro, always a pro
“Swimming in the sea is not something I’m used to. In that part, it’s all about choosing the right position and keeping an overview along the way. At Knokke, I swam quite a bit off course. Then there are the transitions, where I have hardly any experience. Because you can train for weeks as you should, but during a race it looks completely different,” Van Avermaet told Het Nieuwsblad in the week before the World Championship.
“In the last month, I obviously made more time for it, about twice a week. But actually, by swimming even more, I can’t improve much more. Once on the bike, I can give it my all, even though I’m not used to pushing hard for ninety kilometres on a time trial bike. [...] Anyone who has ever been a full-time pro wants to prepare perfectly for every sporting challenge and not do a half-hearted job.”
The question is whether Van Avermaet will defend his world title next year. “I haven’t yet decided what next year will bring,” he said in the same interview with Het Nieuwsblad. “I have qualified for the 2026 World Championships in Nice, and it’s quite possible I’ll take that opportunity. In any case, my goal is to gradually wind down the competitive side and continue only on a recreational basis. Age is catching up as well.”
