“I Like the Idea” – Versatile Cycling Professional Greg Van Avermaet Set for First Appearance at Life Time Unbound 200

Belgian cycling maverick Greg van Avermaet may have retired from professional cycling, but his love for the sport still stands stronger than ever. The Olympic gold medalist will now race in the gravel after grinding hard in the Classics. The 38-year-old champion rider applied for the race through a lottery and his luck paid off.

He received an email that read: “Congratulations Greg, you’re IN” and that marked his first race ever in Kansas and it promises to be riveting. For amateur gravel riders to get the opportunity to race with such a great of the sport is an amazing experience. As for Greg van Avermaet, the man is in the next phase of his life, enjoying his passion.

Greg van Avermaet set for rousing return to the track

A man of many talents, van Avermaet announced his retirement from cycling after the Paris-Tours. He argued that there just wasn’t enough left in the tank to operate at the standards he wished. He bowed out at a time he felt best for him, but that never meant he’d stop cycling completely.

Greg van Avermaet is now all set to share the track with amateurs and show them what he’s made of in the Unbound 200, a signature 200-mile event. The Lifetime Unbound Gravel 2024 will commence on June 1st and will see a score of cyclists battle it out in the gravel for glory.

Talking about the race and his surprise entry into it, van Avermaet said, “I’m doing Unbound because I like the idea of the race, of course. It was not possible to make the combination with my road career because the schedule was full, so I was looking forward to it after my [road] career. The best way to do it, I think, is directly after because then at least you have a little bit of shape.”

A new chapter spells a new beginning

Life after retirement is all about taking it easy and not putting one’s body or mind under too much pressure. The ups and downs in a professional cyclist’s career are quite extreme and to sustain for a long period is challenging. He now wants to explore arenas he couldn’t before, like gravel racing, off-road and even a triathlon.

“I will have some fun, and of course, it will hurt a little bit in the legs, but it will be cool,” he said.

There is a great buzz around the Unbound Gravel that tends to draw Europeans to experience what Kansas Flint Hills has to offer. Several former professional cyclists have made the journey to the gravel track and competed. For Greg van Avermaet, the gravel poses no new threat. Deemed as one of the most versatile cyclists, he could be a champion on any track; such was his greatness.

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He came fourth overall in the inaugural UCI Gravel World Championships 2022 and also won the SGRAIL two weeks later. The only thing he will have to manage the pain in his body and legs, something he’s more than willing to bear.

All eyes now will be on June 1, when the golden boy returns to the field once again, with the same fire, the same spirit and an even stronger weapon: an unburdened mind. It promises to be a riveting race!

Watch this story – “It’s Better to Stop in a Good Way,” – Belgian Cycling Icon Greg Van Avermaet Bids Farewell After a Golden Career in Rearview