"It would’ve been quite ugly for him in the pro peloton" - Triathlon legends agree Kristian Blummenfelt's decision to stick to triathlon was for the best

Kristian Blummenfelt was in the center of attention this summer and not for his sporting success. The Norwegian triathlete made headlines when at the age of 30 and without any prior experience, he declared a goal to not only become road professional but also to win the Tour de France within few years. But within just a few months, he called off his declaration, perhaps realizing the task up ahead.

Mark Allen, six-time Ironman World Champion, fears that Blummenfelt may have simply lacked the pure talent and tools to excel in the pro peloton: "I’m not sure what the intrigue was for him to go cycling. You know we’ve had a lot of cyclists come into our sport and it’s fun to see that happen. Cam Wurf went the other direction and he got into cycling and he excelled. Just looking at Kristian’s body type and stuff, I don’t know," he tells TRI247.

Another Ironman World Champion (2x) Chris McCormack seems to agree with Allen. The Australian believes Blummenfelt and his coach Olav Aleksander Bu had big eyes when they declared the ambition to win Tour: "It’s one thing to say you’re going across to cycling and you’re going to win the Tour de France. It’s another thing to actually do that, and I think it would’ve been a big eye-opener for him. I’m sure he is aware of that, and I just think it’s better he stays where he is because it would’ve been quite ugly for him in that pro peloton."

Bu later cited "disappointment over financial page" as one of the reasons to call off the plans. But Allen shakes his head whether Blummenfelt expected to be paid like Tadej Pogacar with no competitive cycling background. "You know what, it’s not like how we saw Taylor Knibb just absolutely dominate the women on the bike in triathlon. He didn’t exhibit that same dominance that I saw anyway. So if I was a cycling team I’d be like 'why do you think you’re as good or better than every cyclist on the team?'"