Greg van Avermaet had last won a race in the 2019 GP de Montréal. In 2021 he moved to AG2R Citroën Team as it's new leader and with a big part of the team's budget, however he had not so far delivered. At the Boucles de l'Aulne this Sunday, he took his first win with the French team.
“It is emotional. Winning is a very special feeling and it has been a long time since I was allowed to put my arms in the air again. This is what we are all looking for when we start racing," van Avermaet said after the race. Specifically after season and a half with virtually no results to show for, the Belgian has decided to end his career after a long stint in the peloton.
However he wasn't to retire without one last win. More may come later in the year, but this triumph has become more important than one could've imagined years back. “Since the beginning of my professional career, I have always done my job 100 percent. The last few years have not been easy, but I have always remained motivated."
"I am very happy to be able to put my arms in the air for the first time in the AG2R Citroën shirt. It's a nice way to thank them." The French race saw AG2R on the attack, and with the good form he's recently shown he was a contender.
However it was a difficult one, the hilly race saw only a few riders make it to the finish within a shot of victory. It was to be van Avermaet's day, who sprinted towards victory in the way he used to in past years. This will be a motivating victory and not the last day in the current block of French races he's taking on.
“I still have a few races before I retire and I still want to get some results. This gives me confidence. Next week I will ride the 4 Jours de Dunkerque. There are two finales that I like. We'll see how it goes. I want to enjoy this very successful weekend," he concluded.
Read also
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- 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
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
- I think some are making much ado about nothing. Even though Jonas is getting older, before his crash in the Tour, he looked like a solid 2nd all the way home. No one can really climb with Tadej until this year, Eric Mas showed himself which I think was a one off year for him and Paul Seixas has been able to be pretty close to him. Whatever stage race Jonas enters as long as Tadej is not there he is a favorite to win.awp10-11-2026
- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
- Me too!!!!!Occam10-11-2026
- they can sign any 100 of top riders today but Pogi will win over Remco any time at the TDF unless something goes wrongabstractengineer10-11-2026
- the time for a GC rider to retire is when they cannot win stages, or have a significant level drop like from winner/podium into top 5/10 consistently. Roglic is still competitive and Froome raced even though he became pack fodder.abstractengineer10-11-2026
Loading
Like I said earlier I want to give it my all the rest of the season. So happy with my 1st win 🤩 #BouclesdelAulne (📸 ©️ LNC / B.Bade)
Write a comment