105th Ronde van Vlaanderen: April 4th, 2021

[Alexandre B.]

Has anybody expected Asgreen to wait for the sprint?

He was the strongest rider throughout this campaign so why not?

 

[jaylew]

very happy for GVA's podium place

Me too.

 

[gregrowlerson]

I think the sprinting abilities are more equal this time. Asgreen has a decent sprint, and MVDP does not have Kristoff's top speed from when he was best. I'd say a long sprint from Asgreen is the only way to beat MVDP, but there needs to be tailwind for that strategy to work.

Good call.

 

[Kazistuta]

He was an idiot to ride with van der Poel against van Aert. He would much better have stayed in van der Poel's wheel, who would definitely keep riding to keep van Aert at bay, while van Aert would have had to ride to bridge. Now van Aert is wasting less energy (in case he ever gets back) and van der Poel is wasting less energy (because Asgreen is helping) and he himself (Asgreen) is wasting energy.

He could have attacked van der Poel with 10k to go and he would have had a much bigger chance to win.

Sometimes subjective logic comes back to haunt you..

 

[kingjr]

Just contesting that it's not a guarantee to beat MVDP in a longer sprint. Maybe, Wout would have won last year or not. <aybe, he too, wouldn't have had the legs for a longer sprint.

Last year was like a 13-sec effort, in cycling that qualifies as long IMO. It certainly wasn't short.

 

[Red Rick]

I do think Van Aert and VdP burnt too many matches too early in the race.

 

[Brullnux]

Right. And it's easy to type up strategy on a keyboard but when you're out there on the road racing it's different.

And then the riders also have people in team cars (on a keyboard perhaps) who are trying to work strategies etc out, except they're in direct contact with the racers and have way more information than us.

 

[johnymax]

It has to be said. Yes, Asgreen was a member of the strongest team and of course you have to be tactically astute to win a race like De Ronde. But he's won the race by strenght, by being the strongest rider of the day. There was no hidding. Chapeau!

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Clutching at straws a bit here. Asgreen was happy to take pulls as he clearly fancied himself in a two up sprint. He doesn't take pulls, especially when the gap was 20odd seconds with 5km to go, and VdP is happy to sit up and wait for a bunch sprint he may well have won. Asgreen took the gamble and it paid off, because he knew his own strength. Everyone here likes to talk about tactics because its something we like to think we can do to the level of these riders, but in reality these guys are the best in the world for a reason, and strength often wins out anyway.

BS response. I was talking about the moment when van Aert was chasing solo, and van der Poel would have gone 100% just to drop van Aert permanently. I was not talking about when van Aert was back in the group.

And no, these guys are not all master tacticians, and no, there was no way he could predict he was going to beat van der Poel in a straight up sprint. Claiming that, is in fact clutching at straws.

Sometimes subjective logic comes back to haunt you..

How so? Because he won the sprint? Doesn't change the fact that he made a tactical mistake.

 

[Spine Concept]

I do think Van Aert and VdP burnt too many matches too early in the race.

They did, I mentioned that on a couple of occasions during the race. They're so strong that they tend to do way too much. Mathieu definitely paid the price for that in the final sprint. Will they ever learn?

 

[Brullnux]

I do think Van Aert and VdP burnt too many matches too early in the race.

Maybe but Asgreen followed basically all of Van der Poels mini moves much better than van Aert did.

 

[luckyboy]

Why is Van Avermaet only on the third step of the podium? I saw Van der Poel and Asgreen HUG after finish. Hopefully the commissaires have taken note of that.

 

[Wvv]

Surprise ending. Wow Asgreen, and I appreciate VDPoel being human.

Very, very proud of Greg. It's not winning and that will keep getting harder, but on his age and in these times... Chapeau buddy.

 

[Andy262]

Great race. Strongest man won. Very cool finish. Chapeau!

 

[Savant12]

Maybe? Did you see the speed at which they both crossed the line? MVDP just about made it, had the line been 1 m further than it would have likely been a different story.

That's two occasions including today as proof of my theory vs your one proof. Time will tell I suppose.

Well, we saw today that MVDP was looking good for victory but didn't have it for the last 50m. So, you can't say for sure that Wout could have held his speed if he started 50m or 100m earlier.

 

[jaylew]

Is anyone seeing the women's race yet? I thought it was supposed to be on now.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Iconic race, Boonenberg didn't deliver this time, gutted for Greggie. Already spinning some Danish Metal in the turntable.

Mercyful Fate or King Diamond solo stuff?

 

[movingtarget]

Fine win by Asgreen. GVA back on the podium.

 

[42x16ss]

Just contesting that it's not a guarantee to beat MVDP in a longer sprint. Maybe, Wout would have won last year or not. Maybe, he too, wouldn't have had the legs for a longer sprint.

Van der Poel had also worked a good deal more by that point. If Asgreen didn't have the luxury of Alaphillippe and Seneschal in the group behind it was going to be a different story.

 

[kingjr]

Sure, but there is still a big gap between thinking you've got a shot, and being so confident that you will win against likely the most punchy finisher in small sprints in the world, that you do more work than needed, and actively reducing your own chances. It's good he won, he was the strongest, he won deservedly, but needlessly reduced his own chances. I don't see how you can debate that.

I don't think it was needless. He wanted to get a nice cushion over the rest. Not saying he couldn't have done less and still won of course. But I think he made a sensible choice in the given situation, certainly not a stupid one.

 

[Spine Concept]

Well, we saw today that MVDP was looking good for victory but didn't have it for the last 50m. So, you can't say for sure that Wout could have held his speed if he started 50m or 100m earlier.

Agree to disagree. Sorry.

 

[roundabout]

Right. And it's easy to type up strategy on a keyboard but when you're out there on the road racing it's different.

I wonder what your thoughts were on the 2015 Ronde? Terpstra and the team knew what they were doing then too, right?

 

[Mayomaniac]

Asgreen saved the race for DQ, Ala did his best to make them loose the race, but Asgreen was just too strong.

 

[Amazinmets87]

Hopefully he isn't dqed now.

Unexpected but I love it

I hope his transgression was a disqualifying offense. I want to see if the UCI has the nerve to act on it.

 

[Martinstranger]

Is anyone seeing the women's race yet? I thought it was supposed to be on now.

It's on Eurosport now - just needed a few commercials.

 

[Brullnux]

BS response. I was talking about the moment when van Aert was chasing solo, and van der Poel would have gone 100% just to drop van Aert permanently. I was not talking about when van Aert was back in the group.

And no, these guys are not all master tacticians, and no, there was no way he could predict he was going to beat van der Poel in a straight up sprint. Claiming that, is in fact clutching at straws.


How so? Because he won the sprint? Doesn't change the fact that he made a tactical mistake.

Except he quite literally predicted it, held out for the sprint, and won. your whole narrative is based on your own belief of the riders' respective strengths, which is not what Asgreen thought about himself - and to everyone's shock, Asgreen did know more about himself than people on here did.

Asgreen also made the calculation that he felt more comfortable in a two up race than in a three, and that makes sense. A three is more difficult to control, and Asgreen felt/knew he wanted to have as much control over the situation as possible. Plus, Van der Poel could tell how weak Van Aert was, so would've followed every move Asgreen without giving too much regard to the fact he was leading out the (spent) Van Aert.

Your whole issue is that you're not taking into account just how good Asgreen was today. You're treating him as clearly worse than VdP, and someone whose best chance of a win would come by creating chaos and then riding away. But he proved that isn't the case.