Greg Van Avermaet

Over a 17-year pro road career, Greg Van Avermaet accumulated 42 victories, the defining win coming in 2016 with the gold medal at the Rio Olympic Games in the elite men’s road race. Over the following seasons Van Avermaet was recognisable in the peloton with his golden helmet, signifying his forever-title as Olympic champion.

He began racing as a junior in 2004 and then won the Belgian title in the junior men’s road race in 2006. His first four pro seasons, 2007-2010, were with the Lotto team and he went on to race for only two other programmes during his illustrious career, 10 years with BMC Racing turned CCC and three years with AG2R Citroën.

In his early years on the WorldTour, Van Avermaet won a stage at the 2008 Vuelta a España, the 2011 Paris-Tours and twice won the overall at the Tour de Wallonie (2011 and 2013). In 2015 he made his first impressions at the Tour de France, winning the 198.5km stage 13 in Rodez and riding as part of BMC squad’s TTT victory on stage 9. The next year he won the second Tour stage of his career. With a large haul of top 5s in other years of the Tour, he also racked up 11 days in the yellow jersey at the 2016 and 2018 Tours.

It was in 2017 that the Belgian strongman had his best season in the Classics, winning Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, E3 Harelbeke and Gent-Wevelgem before sprinting home from a group of five riders to earn his rock trophy at Paris-Roubaix.

In 2022 he turned his Classics abilities to off-road pursuits and finished fourth overall at the inaugural UCI Gravel World Championships, finishing one second off the podium behind third-placed Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands). 

Across his final season on the road at the age of 38, Van Avermaet erased a three-year victory drought with an emotional win at the one-day 2023 Boucles de l'Aulne.

"Winning the title changed my life,” the Belgian told Cyclingnews about his Olympic Games victory. “Since that win I've been reminded every day about the win. You meet other Olympic champions, and they want a photo. And it connects more than just the cycling world. It's been amazing to achieve that in my career."

Key Results 

2023

🥇 Boucles de L’Aulne

2019

🥇 Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal

2018

🥉 E3 Harelbeke (also 2008)

2017

🥇 Paris-Roubaix 

🥇 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

🥇 E3 Harelbeke

🥇 Gent-Wevelgem

🥇 Tour de Luxembourg

🥈 Strade Bianche (also 2015)

🥈 Tour of Flanders (also 2014)

🥈 Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec

2016

🥇 Olympic Games Road Race

🥇 Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal

🥇 Tour de France stage

🥇 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

🥇 Tirreno–Adriatico

🥈 Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec

2015

🥇 Tour de France stage

🥇 Tour of Belgium

🥉 Tour of Flanders 

🥉 Paris–Roubaix
More

🥇 stage at Vuelta a España 2008

🥇 points classification at Vuelta a España 2008
🥇 Tour de Wallonie 2011, 2013

🥇 Paris–Tours 2011

🥇 Memorial Rik Van Steenbergen 2007
🥈 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2014

🥈 Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec 2012