Teams & Riders The "MVP" Mathieu Van der Poel Road Discussion Thread

[Froome]

He could probably win it today and not miss a beat for the Giro.

PR doesn't have hills to do the difference. It's a very different race.

 

[hfer07]

So MVP is in good shape. Will he ride LBL?

 

[Oldermanish]

A Rando North American Crit, preferably against Californian masters racers

With no drug testing for the Californians. MvP would be suprised that he was one of the smallest guys in the race. He'd also be surprised at how suicidal they're willing to ride for local cred....

 

[Ripper]

With no drug testing for the Californians. MvP would be suprised that he was one of the smallest guys in the race. He'd also be surprised at how suicidal they're willing to ride for local cred....

Exactly! Not for the faint of heart and, might I add, many WTFs and OMGs

 

[Berniece]

So MVP is in good shape. Will he ride LBL?

Yes

 

[Red Rick]

He even doesn't like cobbles, and he rides them only in these couple of races (his own words).
His record speaks enough.
And Pogacar is more a classics specialists than a GC one. At least his results says so.

Tadej Pogacar, the guy who has done 5 GTs and never finished worse than 3rd, and hasn't lost another stage race since Itzulia 2021, is more of a one day racer than a GC rider? The guy who goes to Sanremo and says it's way too easy for him, and who doesn't go to Roubaix because he doesn't wanna risk it before the Grand Tours is really more of a one day specialist?

 

[LookProGoSlow]

Pog mops the floor with MVDP in every one day race with 3000m+ elevation (weird cyclocross courses like Worlds last year aside) while still being competitive at the likes of MSR or Flanders. Yes, MVDP has racked up an impressive record last year in tailormade courses but unless he suddenly starts getting wins in LBL, Lombardia, San Sebastian etc. I'll give the crown to Tadej.

I don't even begin to understand the comparison. It's much harder (impossible) to be 10 kg lighter on a larger frame, than to be 2-3 kg heavier on a smaller frame. Pogi has the advantage of being a smaller frame and can tune his physique to the race he targets while maintaining same power output. Matthieu simply has that physical limitation and will never look like Froome. And if he would get there, he will loose his power.

 

[Berniece]

You're comparing a single hill in a 260km race to an entire race to completely ignore the larger point.

In addition, Kwaremont is a 2km cobbled hill. MvdP, a cobbled specialist, shouldn't get taken to the woodshed by a GC rider there.

I just disagree. Also the way MVDP won those races is more impressive than Pogacar in De Ronde. WC 2min ahead, and MSR a solo finish. I’m more than happy to give Pogacar the #2 spot in the one day race ranking, but imo MVDP is #1. Personal ranking of course so you can see it differently, I don’t think we’ll get to agreement.

 

[AmRacer]

I just disagree. Also the way MVDP won those races is more impressive than Pogacar in De Ronde. WC 2min ahead, and MSR a solo finish. I’m more than happy to give Pogacar the #2 spot in the one day race ranking, but imo MVDP is #1. Personal ranking of course so you can see it differently, I don’t think we’ll get to agreement.

Whatabout Lombardia and LBL?
Or Strade?

 

[Blanco]

It's a strange definition of a classic specialist whichever way you slice it.

I didn't called him "the classics specialist only"
I said he's more of a classic specialist than a GC one, because he has more success in classics races, especially in last two years.

 

[AmRacer]

I didn't called him "the classics specialist only"
I said he's more of a classic specialist than a GC one, because he has more success in classics races, especially in last two years.

GC including one week races?

 

[Blanco]

Tadej Pogacar, the guy who has done 5 GTs and never finished worse than 3rd, and hasn't lost another stage race since Itzulia 2021, is more of a one day racer than a GC rider? The guy who goes to Sanremo and says it's way too easy for him, and who doesn't go to Roubaix because he doesn't wanna risk it before the Grand Tours is really more of a one day specialist?

I certainly wouldn't call a guy who won 5 monuments, a GC guy only.
Pogacar is a freak, like Merckx was, and Hinault, and he's both a GC rider and a classics specialist. My opinion is that he has more success in the classics lately.

 

[Blanco]

GC including one week races?

Yes.

 

[AmRacer]

Yes.

When did Poggi lost a one week race? Was it three years ago?

 

[Slavique Nuke]

but MVDP wasn't nearly at his best at RVV last year.

No way, 2023 MvdP was the best ever. That is his claim.

 

[Blanco]

When did Poggi lost a one week race? Was it three years ago?

I agree that he's most probably the best one-week racer in the world, but that's hardly a game changer in the big scheme.
I also have one question for you: When did Pogi won a Grand Tour race? Was it three years ago?

 

[AmRacer]

I agree that he's most probably the best one-week racer in the world, but that's hardly a game changer in the big scheme.
I also have one question for you: When did Pogi won a Grand Tour race? Was it three years ago?

Nah, that's Rogla.
Yes, he raced only 1 GT race each year, until now. But he raced multiple one day and one week races each year.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Nah, that's Rogla.
Yes, he raced only 1 GT race each year, until now. But he raced multiple one day and one week races each year.

No, it is not Roglic. Pogi would beat him easily in any one week stage race at this point in his career

 

[Balthazar]

Reading the forum for a while now but this is my first post. The discussion here annoys me and I know why. I have watched the big races for years now but only started following it to the extent I do now because of Mvdp and Pogi. I started watching cyclocross because of Mathieu, I started watching 1 week races because of Tadej. Obviously the course is going to decide who has the advantage, its always been that way. Tadej is an absolute phenom and can win pretty much any race he enters. Mathieu is the most explosive rider I have ever seen and almost unbeatable on a course like Glasgow or Flanders. By racing against eachother they have raised the level of one day races as a whole. Watching them destroy entire fields not by using their teammates, but just by attacking themselves, is not normal. They are both generational talents and I am sure looking back they will both get the praise they deserve.

 

[Berniece]

Whatabout Lombardia and LBL?
Or Strade?

Strade I don’t count because the Strade they all rode MVDP won. Lombardia is at the end of the season, Pogacar barely has any opposition there. Last year his biggest competitor fell during the race and had a difficult build up to it. LBL Pogacar only won in a sprint, I wouldn’t call that as impressive as his De Ronde victory for example

 

[AmRacer]

No, it is not Roglic. Pogi would beat him easily in any one week stage race at this point in his career

But we are talking the last couple of years.
I however agree Pogi would beat Rogla this year.

 

[AmRacer]

Strade I don’t count because the Strade they all rode MVDP won. Lombardia is at the end of the season, Pogacar barely has any opposition there. Last year his biggest competitor fell during the race and had a difficult build up to it. LBL Pogacar only won in a sprint, I wouldn’t call that as impressive as his De Ronde victory for example

They are still big one day races.
Poggi beat MvdP this MSR.

 

[Berniece]

They are still big one day races.
Poggi beat MvdP this MSR.

Are we counting random positions in the ranking now? Pogacar beat MVDP, because MVDP as the class act he is, rode for his teammate

 

[Bolder]

I just disagree. Also the way MVDP won those races is more impressive than Pogacar in De Ronde. WC 2min ahead, and MSR a solo finish. I’m more than happy to give Pogacar the #2 spot in the one day race ranking, but imo MVDP is #1. Personal ranking of course so you can see it differently, I don’t think we’ll get to agreement.

I'd say each can dominate their specialties, but in races where they overlap, it's a tossup (MvdP winning MSR/Pog in Flanders).

I find MvdP the most exciting rider in the peloton. You just can't not watch him when he's near the front.

 

[Salvarani]

Reading the forum for a while now but this is my first post. The discussion here annoys me and I know why. I have watched the big races for years now but only started following it to the extent I do now because of Mvdp and Pogi. I started watching cyclocross because of Mathieu, I started watching 1 week races because of Tadej. Obviously the course is going to decide who has the advantage, its always been that way. Tadej is an absolute phenom and can win pretty much any race he enters. Mathieu is the most explosive rider I have ever seen and almost unbeatable on a course like Glasgow or Flanders. By racing against eachother they have raised the level of one day races as a whole. Watching them destroy entire fields not by using their teammates, but just by attacking themselves, is not normal. They are both generational talents and I am sure looking back they will both get the praise they deserve.

Great first post.

MVDP and POG are two legends of the sport already.