"Age is catching up with me": Greg van Avermaet considers a staff role following his triathlon world title

Greg van Avermaet made it clear to everyone that his sporting level remains incredibly high even two years since he stopped his road career. Last weekend, the former Olympic road champion won the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in the age category 40-44. Another incredible trophy to display in his palmares. And Van Avermaet is also competitive enough to sneak into the top-20 of Gravel World Championships, facing the current generation of road professionals.

"I'm qualified for the [Gravel] World Championships in 2026 in Nice and it's quite possible that I'll take that opportunity," Van Avermaet told WielerFlits. "In any case, my goal is to gradually scale back the competitive element and continue only on a recreational basis. Age is catching up with me now."  

When the Belgian retired from professional cycling in 2023, he set a goal for himself to remain at a competitive level for two more years. But time doesn't wait for anyone and the 40-year-old is starting to find it increasingly difficult to keep up with the younger guns.

"Particularly in gravel racing. But even there, with my busy schedule, it's not easy to perform at a high level," he explained. "I still participate in those races, but especially at the World Championships, the level was extremely high. Really trying to win races is quite difficult, but in the UCI Gravel Series a top 10 finish is still possible."

"The combination of different sports is challenging," he reflected. "But it's also a lot of fun. Sports has always been an outlet for me. I've always been quite athletic and I still enjoy competing. But if I'm honest, I would enjoy it much more if the level in those disciplines would drop a bit," he added with a smile.

"Those two years that I wanted to continue competing are now over. So something else needs to come along now. It's difficult to map out your life after your career," he admitted. "But I think I'm doing quite well at keeping myself entertained. I certainly haven't fallen into a black hole."

It's not rare for successful professionals to eventually circle back to road cycling, either as a consultant, or a sports director. That path might be viable for Van Avermaet as well as the 40-year-old remains open (to the option) but undecided.

"Maybe I would like to do something in cycling, yes. I would really like to pass on my experience, but I also know what I don't want. Being away from home for 200 days or sitting in the follow car isn't for me either. It's not easy to put that puzzle together completely, it all has to come at the right moment. But I continue to follow the cycling world closely, and then we'll see what that brings."