Van der Poel Faces Potential Ironman Challenge Following Social Media Bet
Mathieu van der Poel, the reigning 2023 World Champion, seven-time cyclo-cross World Champion, and decorated Classics winner, may soon be trading his bike for a wetsuit and running shoes.The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider, known for his versatility across different terrains, has publicly committed to completing an Ironman triathlon if a recent Instagram post reaches 100,000 likes.
The challenge originated from a post by Freddy Ovett, who is currently with van der Poel in Spain for 2026 pre-season training. The post announced van der Poel’s agreement to tackle the grueling endurance event if the like threshold is met. Van der Poel himself responded to the post, referencing a prior commitment to participate in an Ironman alongside belgian youtuber Average Rob.
An ironman consists of a 3.8-kilometer swim, followed by a 180-kilometer cycling leg, and concluding with a 42.195-kilometer marathon. while van der Poel has expressed interest in the event for some time,his current contract with Alpecin-Deceuninck extends until 2028,possibly delaying his attempt until after that agreement concludes.
As of less than 24 hours after the post went live,the Instagram post has already surpassed 68,000 likes and is rapidly approaching 70,000,putting van der Poel’s ambitious bet within striking distance.
