Greg Van Avermaet will defend Ironman World Champs title after posting a fast time: 'Ticket to Nice stamped'
CyclingThursday, 11 June 2026 at 23:55
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Follow us on GoogleGreg Van Avermaet may have retired from professional cycling some time ago, but the Belgian is still incredibly athletic. He proved this once again last summer in Switzerland, where he took first place in his 40-44 age group at an Iron Man 70.3 and finished thirteenth in the overall standings.
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"Back to life with three disciplines," Van Avermaet posted on Instagram. "The gravel bike has been swapped back for a wetsuit, aero handlebars, and running shoes. At the Iron Man 70.3 in Raperswill, I finished 1st in the 40-44 age category and 13th in the general classification."
"Ticket to Nice stamped," said Van Avermaet, referring to the Iron Man Half-Distance World Championship. He won that event in Marbella last year.
Read more below the photo!
Van Avermaet was sick in the run-up to the Ironman 70.3 in Switzerland
Van Avermaet added on Strava that the result was much better than expected, given that he had been sick in the lead-up to the event.
Despite this, he swam the 1,900 meters in a fast time of 32 minutes, cycled the nearly 84 kilometers—including nearly 1,000 meters of elevation gain—in just over two hours, and then took another 1 hour and 27 minutes to complete the half marathon.
David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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Latest Comments
- - Wow, second place already? How big was the time gap to first in the end, and does that come mostly from the mountain stages or time trial? Gracias por la info, très curieux!sprocketspiny26-07-2026
- - Great piece overall, but quoting Vanthourenhout while noting he’s not on Tour duty with Remco feels odd. Would love more insight from BORA’s actual in-race DS.gearguru3326-07-2026
- - The idea that next year’s route with a 50 km TT flips the script is interesting. If ASO gives us that, Remco starts as 1A contender. But he still needs a mountain train that can blunt UAE’s tempo.michael5426-07-2026
- - “He should have gone sooner” is always easy to say. Carapaz was flying. Remco emptied the tank late and nearly bridged — fine margins at the end of a brutal Tour.andrewf26-07-2026
- - From third last year to second now, plus a stage tally that could’ve been three — that’s progression. BORA’s support looked miles better too, even after the Alpe d’Huez spat. Winning the Tour one day doesn’t look crazy.julien26-07-2026
- - Can someone explain why a longer time trial would help him that much? Is he that much better than Pogacar in TT over 50 km?jeremya26-07-2026
- - Not sure I buy Herygers’ “loyal to Pogačar” angle. Remco races to win. If he had the legs 5 km earlier, he goes. Feels like Monday-morning quarterbacking.pedalpowe2926-07-2026
- - Massive ride from Remco. Second overall and second on the queen stage isn’t “almost” — it’s elite. The way he paced that final 3 km was smart given the UAE/Decathlon tug-of-war behind.patriciaw26-07-2026
- - Pog is on another planet. Even rivals would doubt him? That quote from Gianetti is blunt but honest.julien26-07-2026
- - So if Cobo’s Vuelta got stripped for blood passport issues, why did it take so long? Feels like the system punishes fans retroactively. Confusing tbh.patriciaw26-07-2026
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