"If Mathieu does participate, it won't be to finish 50th": Greg Van Avermaet analyzes Van der Poel's potential Ironman participation

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.