"If Mathieu does participate, it won't be to finish 50th": Greg Van Avermaet analyzes Van der Poel's potential Ironman participation
Cycling
Mathieu van der Poel is already a world champion in road cycling, cyclocross (7x) and gravel. In the proximate seasons, we can expect the Dutch phenomenon to focus more on the mountain bikes where he's still missing a rainbow jersey, but he might be planning to add a fifth discipline to his sport CV already.
The internet exploded in November when Freddy Ovett, Mathieu van der Poel's training partner, shared a playful video. The message? If the post reached 100,000 likes, MVDP would compete in a real Ironman. Two months later, that milestone has been surpassed, and the cycling world is speculating: will he actually do it?
Last year's world champion in the half-triathlon in his age group Greg Van Avermaet was presented with the question at Velofollies. And as a regular training acquintance of Van der Poel's in Spain, he knows the best what goes through the freshly 31-year-old's mind.
The only thing we can tell for sure at the moment is that it won't be as soon, considering Van der Poel's other commitments. "Ask him when he's available," Van Avermaet laughed on Sporza, adding immediately: "I'm available myself."
One thing that makes Van der Poel the star he is, would be his work ethic: "If he wants to run, it doesn't matter what time you agree on. Say you're going to run for 7, and he'll be ready at 6:50."
That extreme drive, according to Van Avermaet, is the reason why Mathieu van der Poel's potential triathlon won't be a Sunday outing. He's meticulously analyzing his training partner's potential. "His swimming technique still needs work, but I think he averaged 3:30 for 10 kilometers. That's very fast."
And then there's the mentality. "I don't need to tell anyone anything about cycling... If Mathieu does participate, it won't be to finish 50th. So he won't just try." It's a clear warning: if Van der Poel starts, it's to win. The idea that "participation is more important than winning" doesn't seem to be in his vocabulary.
It's precisely that insatiable drive to be the best that still surprises Van Avermaet himself, a seasoned former professional. "That's striking, because Mathieu has already won so much." However, the Dutchman still does everything with a tremendous passion: "There's no sense of routine with him," Van Avermaet concludes.
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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- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
- I'm picking .... .... Never mind 🫥flyer07-11-2026
- If Tiberi has a better and more consistent 2027 I somehow doubt it will be because of this victorious warning. Unless his preparation has been off, cycling isn't football.flyer07-11-2026
- Love this guy. He is such a pure racer.mij07-11-2026
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