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Triathlete Kristian Blummenfelt says he wants to win the Tour

Triathlete Kristian Blummenfelt says he wants to win the Tour

Norwegian triathlete Kristian Blummenfelt is hoping to defend his Olympic gold medal at the Paris Games in the triathlon—but after that, he has other hopes for racing in France. Namely, the Tour.

In an interview on Norway’s TV2, his coach Olav Aleksander Bu said that in 2025, the triathlete star will be “90 per cent likely” to focus on cycling. Although he doesn’t have a contract with a WorldTour team for 2025, his coach said that his goal would be to win the Tour de France by 2028.

Targetting the Tour de France

“We will go with cycling because we believe there is an opportunity to make a difference there,” Bu told TV2. “We feel that the research, development, technology, and approach we have are being met with open arms in some teams, who really want and understand that you need to make a further step up there.”

Bu went on to say, that as far as goals, there is a big one.

“It has to be the yellow jersey in the Tour de France, it’s that simple,” Bu said.

The commentator then asked, “Seriously?” to which the coach confirmed it was no joke.

Build up to the big races

According to his coach, the Tour goal will be met in a progressive manner. He would race the Grand Tour in 2026, with a focus primarily on testing. That year would serve as preparation, with the goal of winning ‘some jerseys’ in 2027. Then, just three years later, he would plan to take the yellow jersey and win the overall classification of the Tour de France. (He makes it sound so easy! Sign me up!)

How long could you last in a WorldTour race?

It does not appear that Blummenfelt has raced pro cycling races before, so the goals are definitely ambitious. He’s definitely a very fast and fit athlete, but racing at the pro level on the road involves more than just fitness. Being comfortable riding very close to other riders, as well as the technical aspects of corners, descents, and high-speed pelotons, can take years to learn. There’s also the different aspect of pro cycling—the races are much longer, with bigger variations in speed than a triathlon.

Triathlons vs. road races

The program also queried experts about the possibility of the transition from triathlons to road racing. ‘When it comes to the physical aspect, triathletes have a very good foundation,’ former world champion and Australian cyclist Cadel Evans said. “Acquiring the skills is probably the difficult part.”

Professional triathlete Cameron Wurf, for example, began racing on the…

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