Greg Van Avermaet talks about his dream victory: "The World Championship is the highest attainable"
Cycling
Greg Van Avermaet was brought in by AG2R Citroën in 2021 as the new leader. The reigning Olympic champion formed a fearsome duo with Oliver Naesen in the cobbled classics that spring. In the Tour de France he tried to bring a stage victory for the French, while he was Belgian road captain at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Greg Van Avermaet spoke thoroughly with ridemagazine about his career and his future plans as well as his beginnings.
Van Avermaet was first asked about his perfect day on the bike: "Perhaps you are looking for one moment? Then of course I end up with my Olympic title in Rio. An iconic race in a very atypical location and a race that is only contested every four years. Then there's the way I won. A day to never forget. But I would like to add that an ordinary training day on mountain bike or road bike can also be a very nice day!"
Then he was asked if he rather makes the race or hides in shadows: "Make the race. That's how I've always tried to ride my races. Maybe I should have raced a bit more sneaky, but that wasn't my style. As soon as I have a bit of good am, I race and try to put the race in a final fold. I don't think I've ever won a race in economy mode."
If he could choose one one-day race to win, he went for World Championship without any hesitation: "With the rainbow jersey as an extra. You can wear that jersey for a whole year. The World Championship is the highest attainable; the one-day race of the year."
Mathieu van der Poel or Wout van Aert? "That's a very difficult one. Two different riders, both with their charms and their positive and negative points. Mathieu's brash way of racing appeals to me a little more. Sometimes I wish I was him. On the other hand, van Aert puts so much regularity in his performance, which in turn resonates with me in that way. I can not choose."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
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- Me too!!!!!Occam10-11-2026
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