Greg Van Avermaet facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Greg Van Avermaet

Van Avermaet, 2022 Paris–Roubaix.
Personal information
Full name	Greg Van Avermaet
Nickname	Avi GVA King of Flanders
Born	(1985-05-17) 17 May 1985 (age 40) Lokeren, Flanders, Belgium
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Weight	74 kg (163 lb; 11 st 9 lb)
Team information
Current team	Team Last Dance
Discipline	Gravel
Role	Rider
Rider type	Classics specialist Puncheur
Major wins
Grand Tours Tour de France 2 individual stages (2015, 2016) 2 TTT stages (2015, 2018) Vuelta a España Points classification (2008) 1 individual stage (2008) Stage races Tirreno–Adriatico (2016) Tour of Belgium (2015) Tour de Wallonie (2011, 2013) Tour de Luxembourg (2017) Tour de Yorkshire (2018) One-day races and Classics Olympic Games Road Race (2016) Paris–Roubaix (2017) Gent–Wevelgem (2017) E3 Harelbeke (2017) GP de Montréal (2016, 2019) Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (2016, 2017) Paris–Tours (2011) Other UCI World Tour (2017) UCI World Ranking (2017)

Greg Van Avermaet (born 17 May 1985) is a retired professional cyclist from Belgium. He was known as a very skilled rider who could win many different types of races. Greg was especially good at "classic" one-day races, which are often long and challenging. He also won stages and overall titles in shorter stage races, especially those with hills.

Greg was famous for his strong sprint finish, which helped him win races from small groups. He also won races by riding alone ahead of everyone else. His biggest achievements include winning the gold medal in the men's road race at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He also won major one-day races like Paris–Roubaix, Gent–Wevelgem, and E3 Harelbeke in 2017.

In the big multi-day races called Grand Tours, Greg won two stages in the Tour de France. He also wore the famous Yellow Jersey for eleven days in 2016 and 2018. In the Vuelta a España, he won a stage and the points competition. In 2017, Greg was the overall winner of the 2017 UCI World Tour, which ranks the best cyclists in the world. He retired from racing in 2023.

Greg's Cycling Journey

Starting Out in Cycling

Greg Van Avermaet grew up in a family of cyclists. Both his father and grandfather were professional riders. Greg was even named after a famous American cyclist, Greg LeMond, because his dad admired him. He started bike racing when he was 19. Before that, he played football as a goalkeeper. In 2006, at age 21, he became the Belgian amateur champion.

First Professional Years (2007–2010)

Van Avermaet (pictured in 2007) raced four years for the Predictor–Lotto team.

• 2007: Greg signed his first professional contract. He won four races in his first year, including a stage in the Tour of Qatar. He also won the Rund um die Hainleite in Germany and the Memorial Rik Van Steenbergen in Belgium.
• 2008: This was a big year for Greg. He finished third in E3 Harelbeke and eighth in the Tour of Flanders. He won stages in the Tour de Wallonie and the Tour de l'Ain. He also made his debut in a Grand Tour, the Vuelta a España. He won a stage and the points classification in the Vuelta. At the end of 2008, he was named Flandrien of the Year, a top award for Belgian cyclists.

Van Avermaet at the 2008 Vuelta a Espana

• 2009: This year was a bit tougher, with only one win, the Heistse Pijl. He rode in his first Tour de France, finishing 89th overall.
• 2010: Greg didn't win any races this year. He finished fifth in the World Championships road race.

Joining BMC and First Classic Win (2011)

Van Avermaet took his first classic victory at the 2011 Paris–Tours, after a two-man sprint with Italian Marco Marcato.

In 2011, Greg joined the BMC Racing Team team. He had a strong spring season, finishing ninth in Milan–San Remo and seventh in Liège–Bastogne–Liège. He won a stage and the points classification in the Tour of Austria. He also won the overall title and a stage in the Tour de Wallonie. In October, he achieved his first "classic" race victory by winning Paris–Tours.

Becoming a Top Contender (2012–2014)

Van Avermaet at the 2012 Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec

• 2012: Greg became a strong contender in the classic races. He finished fifth in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Strade Bianche. He also placed fourth in the Tour of Flanders. He came very close to winning his first World Tour race at the Grand Prix de Québec, finishing second.
• 2013: He continued to get many top-10 finishes in the spring classics, including third in Gent–Wevelgem and fourth in Paris–Roubaix. He won two stages and the overall title in the Tour de Wallonie. He also won a stage in the Tour of Utah. For his four victories this year, he won his second Flandrien of the Year award.

Van Avermaet celebrating victory on Stage 1 of the 2013 Tour of Utah

• 2014: Greg had another great spring season but still didn't win a classic race. He finished second in both Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and the Tour of Flanders. He rode in the Tour de France and later won the Grand Prix de Wallonie and the GP Impanis-Van Petegem. He finished fifth at the World Championships. He earned his third Flandrien of the Year award.

Van Avermaet at the 2014 Tour de France

Big Wins and Tour de France Stage (2015)

In the spring of 2015 Van Avermaet was third in both the Tour of Flanders and Paris–Roubaix. (pictured on the podium of Paris–Roubaix with John Degenkolb and Zdeněk Štybar)

In 2015, Greg started strong, finishing second in Strade Bianche. He won a stage in Tirreno–Adriatico. In the spring classics, he finished third in both the Tour of Flanders and Paris–Roubaix. He also won the final stage and the overall title in the Tour of Belgium.

During the Tour de France, his team won a team time trial stage. On 17 July 2015, Greg won his first individual Tour de France stage. He sprinted uphill to win stage 13. He had to leave the race early to be with his wife for the birth of their first daughter.

Van Avermaet at the team presentation in Utrecht for the 2015 Tour de France, in which he won stage 13 – an uphill sprint in Rodez.

Later that year, he was hit by a motorbike during the Clásica de San Sebastián race, which stopped him from finishing. He finished second overall in the Eneco Tour. At the end of 2015, he was recognized as the best Belgian cyclist of the year, winning both the Crystal Bicycle and Flandrien of the Year awards.

Olympic Champion (2016)

Van Avermaet on the podium of 2016 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad with his daughter Fleur, Peter Sagan (left) and Tiesj Benoot (right).

In 2016, Greg won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad by beating Peter Sagan in a sprint. He then won the overall title at Tirreno–Adriatico, a major stage race, by just one second! This win made him the top-ranked cyclist in the world for a week. Sadly, he crashed and broke his collarbone in the Tour of Flanders.

After recovering, he returned to racing. In July, he won stage 5 of the Tour de France after a long solo ride. This win also put him in the yellow jersey, which he wore for three days.

Van Avermaet won the Olympic road race, finishing near Fort Copacabana, at the Rio Olympics.

On 6 August 2016, Greg achieved his biggest victory: he won the gold medal in the men's road race at the Rio Olympics. He worked with other riders and then sprinted to victory on Copacabana Beach. Later in the season, he won the Grand Prix de Montréal.

King of the Spring Classics (2017)

After an ankle injury, Greg started 2017 by winning his second Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in a row, again beating Peter Sagan. He then won E3 Harelbeke and Gent–Wevelgem. This made him only the second rider ever to win these three big races in the same season! He became the leader of the 2017 UCI World Tour.

Van Avermaet claimed his first career monument win at the 2017 Paris–Roubaix. (Pictured in third position in the lead group at 26 kilometres (16 miles) from the finish)

Greg was a favorite for the Tour of Flanders but crashed while chasing the leader, finishing second. However, on 9 April 2017, he won Paris–Roubaix, one of cycling's most famous and toughest races. He overcame a mechanical problem and a long chase to win in a sprint on the Roubaix Velodrome. This was his first "monument" win. He ended the year as the world's number one cyclist.

Yellow Jersey at the Tour de France (2018)

Van Avermaet wore the yellow jersey for eight days at the 2018 Tour de France. (pictured in the breakaway during stage 9 to Roubaix)

In 2018, Greg won a stage in the Tour of Oman. In the spring classics, he was always near the front, finishing third in E3 Harelbeke and fourth in Paris–Roubaix. In May, he won the overall title at the Tour of Yorkshire.

At the Tour de France, Greg's team won the team time trial, which put him in the yellow jersey. He wore the yellow jersey for eight days, showing his strength and leadership. He finished second on a tough cobbled stage. He also won a special "combativity award" for his fighting spirit on another stage. Later in the season, he finished second in the Grand Prix de Québec and third in the Grand Prix de Montréal.

Later Career and Retirement (2019–2023)

Van Avermaet at the 2019 Tour de France

In 2019, Greg's team changed its name to CCC Pro Team. He won a stage in the Tour of Valencia. He continued to be a strong rider in the classics, finishing second in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and third in E3 Harelbeke. On 15 September 2019, he won the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal for the second time. In the Tour de France, he wore the polka-dot jersey for a couple of days.

Greg continued racing until 2023. In his final year, he won the Boucles de l'Aulne race. His last professional race was Paris–Tours.

Major Achievements

Awards and Recognition

Greg Van Avermaet has received many awards for his cycling achievements:

• Crystal Bicycle (Best Professional Cyclist in Belgium): 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
• Flandrien of the Year (Another top Belgian cycling award): 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
• Vlaamse Reus (Flemish Giant award): 2016
• Belgian Sportsman of the Year: 2016
• Honorary Citizen of Dendermonde (his hometown): 2016
• VeloNews: Classics Rider of the Year: 2017
• Swiss Mendrisio d'Or: 2017

Images for kids

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  Van Avermaet at the 2022 Paris–Roubaix.

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  Van Avermaet in 2007.

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  Van Avermaet at the 2008 Vuelta a Espana.

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  Van Avermaet after winning Paris–Tours in 2011.

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  Van Avermaet at the 2012 Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec.

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  Van Avermaet celebrating victory on Stage 1 of the 2013 Tour of Utah.

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  Van Avermaet at the 2014 Tour de France.

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  Van Avermaet on the podium of Paris–Roubaix in 2015.

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  Van Avermaet at the team presentation for the 2015 Tour de France.

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  Van Avermaet on the podium of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in 2016.

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  Fort Copacabana, near where Van Avermaet won his Olympic gold medal.

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  Van Avermaet in the lead group at the 2017 Paris–Roubaix.

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  Van Avermaet wearing the yellow jersey at the 2018 Tour de France.

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  Van Avermaet at the 2019 Tour de France.

See also

In Spanish: Greg Van Avermaet para niños