Michiel de Wilde
@michieldewilde
Nickname
The Wilde one
Date of birth
23 / 01 / 1992
Hometown
The Hague, the Netherlands
Nobody is born as an athlete. Some discover their talents early on. Me, on the other hand, only at 18. That's because I moved to Amsterdam for university. My talent wasn't there. I picked up rowing. It felt like love with intense training. The more I pushed my limits, the more joy I found. Hard and consistent training is what long-distance triathlon is all about. That's where my talent lies!
What are your biggest achievements on the bike?
I've got two! Number one is when I rode a bike outside the Netherlands for the first time. I was 16 years old and weighed 94 kg. It was a hilly 100 km ride that ended at the top of Puy de Dôme in France. My first mountain! I walked more than I cycled that day.
Number two is the bike leg in my first full triathlon. A 180 km race, with the swim done and a marathon still to go. I nailed my nutrition, kept my pace spot on, and held my aero position for 4.5 hours. One of my best days in the Ironman saddle. Balancing the bike leg in long-distance triathlon is key. Ride hard to lead, but not too hard to ruin the run! My goal is to ride as close to 4 hours for the 180 km and still have a strong run.
What is your biggest goal this year?
My big goal is to finish in the top 5 in Ironman Lanzarote or Ironman Kraichgau!
What is your favorite route of place to ride?
Riding my TT bike on the Al Qudra desert trail in Dubai. Smooth asphalt in the middle of the desert. No cars allowed, but watch out for camels crossing! If I had to pick a place to ride next, it's Mallorca, or maybe Girona! Or the Ardennes...
And top of my bucket list is riding my gravel bike in California. But hey, it doesn't matter where you are. It's all about the feeling of cycling!
Who is your favorite riding buddy?
Riding with William van Der Staaij is always an adventure. It's mostly about riding a gravel bike. But my training doesn't leave much room for just cruising and having fun. Nothing beats coming home and going all out on a ride with your best buddies.
What is your favorite BBB Cycling product ? And why?
The first thing that comes to mind. My tool kit! The CO2 pump and tire levers have saved me countless times. But my favorite is the aero helmet. Just look at it!
