Even earlier than closing out his 18-year skilled street profession in 2023, Greg van Avermaet (Belgium) started to variety his athletic pursuits, for his love of sports activities. He had already distinguished himself on the 2016 Olympic Video games with the gold medal within the street race and a yr later he captured wins at each Paris-Roubaix and Gent-Wevelgem. How do you prime that?
Van Avermaet started to fluctuate his programme in 2022 by competing within the inaugural UCI Gravel World Championships and completed fourth, one second off the rostrum behind Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands). Then he took up a full gravel calendar this yr and combined in a 70.3 Ironman, which now has him certified for the 70.3 Ironman World Championships in 2025.
“I really like sports activities. I am fortunate that I am nonetheless in good condition. You recognize, it takes me 4 weeks to coach for a triathlon to be on a good stage. In order that’s additionally the cool half, should you can preserve your self busy with using your bike, the form just isn’t happening that a lot. And it is cool to try this sort of occasions the place you simply can discover some freedom and a few good emotions,” Van Avermaet instructed Cyclingnews throughout his look Friday at a pop-up retailer in Leuven for manufacturers together with BMC and Pirelli.
“I feel it is fairly particular, as a result of we now have, in fact, plenty of Belgians going to start out. However it’s not going to be like in an actual workforce. I feel it is fairly a person sport. It is also not that it is created by the federation, the place within the street they’ve to choose eight or 9 guys a workforce. So I feel right here it is extra free.Â
“Final time, I used to be nonetheless in huge form, you recognize, I used to be nonetheless an expert rider. Now could be slightly bit totally different. I am nonetheless using my bike loads, however, you do not reside the skilled life anymore, which can be good.”
In 2024, his first yr away from the WorldTour and street racing, the 39-year-old Belgian went all-in for gravel, incomes seven prime 10s in eight main occasions, together with third at Falling Leaves Lahti, fourth at 3 Rides Gravel and seventh at Unbound Gravel 200. With this yr’s UCI Gravel World Championships on his dwelling turf, he needs to have a superb experience.
“I’ll attempt to do my finest. I’ve, in fact, the abilities and the data find out how to do it, however generally the legs do not reply that good anymore to what you need. However I feel I’ve a good stage. It is not so far-off from dwelling. After which I used to be additionally pondering, why not? Why not attempt.
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“Successful this sort of stuff, I feel that can be out of attain. I feel prime 15, prime 20, on this parcours, I can be joyful. So we are going to see. I am nonetheless having fun with it [racing] however the stage, in fact, just isn’t the identical anymore.”
When speaking about what number of contenders have been a part of the 292 elite males on the beginning for Sunday’s 182km contest, Van Avermaet needed to choose a Belgian teammate, however defaulted to one of many hottest riders within the peloton who’s now not doubtful to start out, Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel.
“If you must choose one identify the place you must put your cash on, I feel in all probability will probably be Mathieu [van der Poel]. I feel should you see his stage from final week on a parcours that possibly just isn’t the most effective for him, then I feel you’ll be able to anticipate that he gonna be the winner on Sunday,” Van Avermaet stated with a light-weight snicker.
“So I feel that man has the abilities, has the legs, and has the data of [equipment]. I prefer it that he is right here, it is good for the occasion. I sort of prefer it when these guys have an interest to do this sort of stuff.”
Van der Poel could have a Classics-styled course on which to compete for Worlds title on gravel so as to add to those he has in cyclocross and street. Van Avermaet just like the course, regardless that he stated it may have been designed with extra climbs.
“I prefer it, yeah, I feel it is Belgium, you can’t change it. We now have punchy climbs, not an excessive amount of. We now have plenty of buildings, and the small components of nature we now have are fairly protected, particularly in Flanders. There are fairly some corners additionally. So I feel grading this parcours is kind of onerous,” he confirmed.
“It is sort of a Classics type, like Tour of Flanders. It is that sort of parcours. I feel in the event that they actually needed to make it loads tougher, we now have a number of extra climbs, but it surely’s good, a superb mixture.
“It is this sort of gravel, the roads are usually not huge, you must be in entrance. And it will make the race onerous. Should you’re too far [behind], you’ve gotten this sort of accordion that you simply’re taking part in, and it is onerous to meet up with the primary guys. And that may make the race very onerous I feel.”
Triathlon Worlds
Different sports activities adventures have led Van Avermaet again to his roots as a youth with swimming and working, and he tried a triathlon in 2023 “only for enjoyable”. This yr a pal challenged him to compete in a half Ironman, so Van Avermaet first checked his gravel programme to see if the timing labored. It did.Â
He competed on the 70.3 Ironman Knokke-Heist alongside former street execs Jelle Wallays (Cofidis) and Sven Vanthourenhout, who has been the nationwide biking coach for Belgium. Van Avermaet completed thirteenth total, third in his class (M35-39) and 5 spots forward of Wallays whereas Vanthourenhout was seventh in his class (M40-44).
“There was one, in fact, in Belgium, and I stated, yeah, why not attempt? I solely beginning biking after I was 18 years outdated, so I’ve a background as a soccer participant, however I used to be additionally swimming a bit, and I used to be working. So in the long run, it does not price me an excessive amount of power to modify.”
He admitted he actually loved it as a result of it was not solely totally different, however there have been decrease expectations from biking, the place even “with gravel folks anticipate you are gonna win, but it surely’s not at all times that straightforward”. Van Avermaet certified for the 70.3 Ironman World Championship in Spain subsequent yr.
“However in triathlon, folks actually respect if you are able to do the three sports activities, after which it was a superb expertise to organize myself do totally different sort of coaching. And I certified for Worlds subsequent yr. So I can be there additionally one other one.”
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