"This guy thinks he’s going to come in and be a star, that’s probably not going to happen" - Could Olympic triathlon champion make the switch to the pro peloton?

In a recent episode of The Move podcast, Johan Bruyneel and Spencer Martin discussed Kristian Blummenfelt’s transition from triathlons to the world of pro cycling. It’s a bold move, but is it one that will reap the rewards?

Blummenfelt won the Olympic triathlon back in Tokyo, and is the current world record holder for the Ironman 70.3 triathlon. Despite his incredible level of fitness, and his racing pedigree, there are some doubters over his move to cycling, and it is by no means an easy switch. Over the summer it was reported that he was close to signing with Team Jayco-AlUla, but due to financial constraints this has not been possible yet.

“I kind of like this from Matt White over there, looking for guys accomplished in other sub-disciplines of cycling,” said Spencer Martin, who is clearly a fan of Jayco’s decision to look outside the box in terms of recruitment. But there was a catch, as Martin continued by explaining why the singing was never finalised, “Just the money wasn’t good enough, if this guy really thinks he’s going to come in and be a star, that’s probably not going to happen.”

Clearly, whilst this could be a bold and brave move, Blummenfelt can’t expect to sign a big money deal without having proven himself in the pro peloton. The episode went on emphasise that the 30 year is in peak physical condition, and could make the transition successfully, but it will definitely take time.