"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
Cycling
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?'"
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 get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- 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
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