Trading his cycling jersey for a wetsuit and running shoes, Mathieu van der Poel is turning his asphalt dreams into a triathlon reality. The reigning double world champion of cycling has found himself at the crossroads of taking up an unexpected challenge. It has spiked out of a wager that was made on the YouTube Channel of Average Rob.

As Poel steps into the midpoint of his illustrious career, the Dutch cycling sensation gets a chance to rewrite his professional narrative. The cycling community and Poel fans are eagerly waiting to witness their favorite athlete conquer Ironman courses after conquering mountains on a bike.  

A bet changed the cycling game for Mathieu van der Poel

Van der Poel wishes to extend his passion beyond the familiar realms of cyclocross and road cycling. What acted as a catalyst for getting a taste of a new experience started with a seemingly lighthearted wager on the Average Rob YouTube channel. Apart from Poel, the video features two other YouTubers namely Arno the Kid and Average Rob.

It was in this video that Poel declared to teach the duo mountain biking but only on the condition that the video receives more than 10,000 likes. Touching the recommended figure has been a cakewalk for the channel’s substantial 400,000 subscribers.   

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The target was swiftly achieved and the stakes continued to escalate. Garnering interest in this act, the YouTuber made another video featuring the cyclist. Through this video titled, “Becoming a Mountain Bike Champion ft. Mathieu van der Poel”, Average Rob came up with proposing a new challenge. 

Growing trend of triathlon among cyclists

With the new video came a new challenge for Van der Poel, who proposed that if the video reached 42,000 likes, the cyclist would commit himself to tackling an Ironman. Contemplating the aftermath, the cyclist sealed the deal with a smile and a handshake. Surpassing all expectations, the video reached 66,000 likes opening new avenues for Van der Poel to try his luck in the world of triathlons.

The Ironman challenge is known for testing the resilience and physical strengths of athletes. While the 180 km ride seems to fit within his capabilities, the 3.8km swim, backed up by the marathon run, will present him with new frontiers. Previously, there have been many legends who have excelled in both triathlon and cycling, such as Canada’s ITT national champion, Paula Findlay. Besides, Greg Van Avermaet has displayed his foray into the gravel version of the triathlon.    

Mathieu van der Poel fans are eagerly waiting to anticipate the unexpected chapter of his journey into the world of triathlon. Poel will be proving his athletic prowess and determination as a new multi-sport challenge beckons, redefining the boundaries of his athletic prowess.

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