Greg Van Avermaet confirms his outstanding talent by becoming a triathlon world champion!

Greg Van Avermaet is no longer part of the road peloton, having retired two years ago. The 2016 Olympic champion enjoyed a splendid road career, and after finishing his mission, he took his skills off the road. Gravel racing seems to be mandatory for the retired ex-pros, but Van Avermaet has taken things one step further... and became a triathlon World Champion!

The former professional had already made a lasting impression at the 70.3 Ironman in Nice this June when he finished second overall, best in his age category (40-44). Afterwards we've seen Van Avermaet train a lot in Spain, including a chance encounter with current road star Mathieu van der Poel, who is building up condition for the cyclocross season.

And all of that hard work, combined with Van Avermaet's undeniable talent came to fruition at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Marbella, Spain, on Sunday. The Belgian was fastest in the age-group and thus added another valuable triumph to his extensive palmares.

"Swimming in the sea is not something I'm used to. In that event, it's all about choosing the right position and maintaining an overview along the way. For example, I swam a long way wrong in Knokke. Then there are those transitions, in which I have little experience. You can train for weeks the right way, but in a race, it looks completely different," Van Avermaet told Het Nieuwsblad the week before the World Championships.

"I've obviously made more time for that over the past month, about twice a week. But I can't really gain that much by swimming even more. Once I'm on the bike, I can really go all out, even though I'm not used to pushing ninety kilometers on a time trial bike."

Some would have expected the Belgian to take the race in a more leisurely pace, but the 40-year-old clearly prepared to the best of his abilities, as he would do for every big road event in the past: "Anyone who's ever been a full-time professional wants to prepare perfectly for every sporting challenge and not do things halfway."

The question is whether Van Avermaet will defend his world title next year. "I haven't decided yet what next year will bring," he said in the same interview with Het Nieuwsblad. "I'm qualified for the 2026 World Championships in Nice, and I might very well seize that opportunity. In any case, my goal is to gradually phase out my competitive riding and continue only recreationally. I'm getting on in years now."