106th Ronde van Vlaanderen: April 3rd, 2022

[TourOfSardinia]

Class win
Chapeau MVdP

 

[gregrowlerson]

They are all racing for 3rd place (at best) anyway.

In what scenario other than a freak crash does anyone other than MVdP and Pogacar have even a 1% chance of winning at this point?

This didn't age too well.

Great race and finish!

 

[wheresmybrakes]

Super ride by Fred Wright, bravo!

 

[Pantani_lives]

Fantastic race. The final 70 km didn't have a boring moment. MvdP is a deserved winner. He did everything perfectly today, didn't waste any energy, was always where he had to be. Pogacar was impressive, but made a blunder in the final km. He still looks like a potential winner for the future.

Before the race they asked MvdP whether Pogacar could be an ally. He said yes, and so it turned out.

 

[jaylew]

This is a very overlooked thing in discussion forums (for all sports...when you are physically and mentally drained at the end...).

True. I may or may not have been an example of this more than once.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Mathieu

Great race. Pogacar effed himself. But I think he would not have beaten VDP in the sprint.

 

[spalco]

This didn't age too well.

Great race and finish!

Haha, I'll accept that.

 

[Breh]

FDJ the strongest team in the race???

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I think MvdP is absolutely at his peak. Just because he didn't attack doesn't mean he wasn't at his best. He had enough to just follow that Slovenian freak. Just staying in his wheel is a victory in itself.

Exactly. This was peak VDP no doubt. Pogacar is just absolutely ridicolous. He made VDP nearly drop on the Pater...

 

[Eclipse]

I find it somewhat ironic that for a thread that saw many people spending so much time earlier criticising people taking turns to have a hope of a podium spot that it's now full of people making fun of someone riding to win missing the podium lol.

Pogi will learn and be back with a vengeance - no reason not to come again now he knows he can destroy the majority of the field.

MVDP absolute class. What a rider.

 

[awavey]

This is a very overlooked thing in discussion forums (for all sports...when you are physically and mentally drained at the end...).

admittedly Im no top level athlete but I know when Ive been physically/mentally drained on a day long ride with that intensity, Ive simply got no energy left for outward emotions of any kind, thats being physically/mentally drained to me.

 

[trevim]

Am I the only one sorry Pogacar missed the podium so that we could see his reaction there?

 

[movingtarget]

Not even on the podium. What a disgrace. The search for the new Merckx continues.

Just an honorary cannibal so far..............

 

[jmdirt]

There is a chance of rain in roubaix. Let's pray and dance for the rain! A pity Colbrelli won't be there

Wouldn't it be awesome if he was though?!

 

[RedheadDane]

So, I have a bit of a weird question - because of course I have weird questions! - relating to Madouas' similarity to Gaudu:

Does he - Madouas - have some non-cycling friend he can make bets with?

 

[gunara]

Stick with him, be confident of your own speed, wait for the dummies, confuse him, and *** him at the end.

That's a masterful win by MvdP. Great edition even without WVA.

And how we cycling fans overreact to any kind of emotion shows, other less demanding sports have more of it. I'd probably eat my rear tire if I were Pog.

 

[hfer07]

I honestly thought Madouas was going to make the biggest upset
congrats to MvP - he truly had to suffer for this win.
Hats off to Pogacar despite his sloppy sprint. He'll come back for sure & win it

 

[AlfaLum]

Exactly. This was peak VDP no doubt. Pogacar is just absolutely ridicolous. He made VDP nearly drop on the Pater...

The acceleration by Pogacar on the 2nd kwaremont must have been one of the most impressive things I have seen in like forever.

Completely cooked Asgreen there who was the only one following him there. The others were lucky there that there were so many leftovers from the earlier breaks there.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Also full credit to Dylan van Baarle for being the smartest rider in the race. Chose the perfect moment to attack, immediately took his own pace on the Oude Kwaremont which enabled him to overtake Wright later and get back to Madouas, holds off the Küng group, then makes the most he could out of Pogacar and Van der Poel surplacing by having Madouas tow the pair of them back and somehow make it into second.

 

[Tobi]

 

[Mayomaniac]

Also full credit to Dylan van Baarle for being the smartest rider in the race. Chose the perfect moment to attack, immediately took his own pace on the Oude Kwaremont which enabled him to overtake Wright later and get back to Madouas, holds off the Küng group, then makes the most he could out of Pogacar and Van der Poel surplacing by having Madouas tow the pair of them back and somehow make it into second.

Is racing instinct is second to none, he knows when to attack.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

When MVP and Pog slowed down substantially MVP already had an advantage (superb acceleration) but it's still unbelievable that Pog (who was behind MVP) didn't see the obvious speed advantage the chasers had and didn't start finishing a few dozens of meters earlier. Even the 2nd place behind MVP would be good but 4th is the worst possible (considering he was the strongest guy on cobbles today).

 

[Mick Dundee]

Wow at MvdP's acceleration from the helicopter shot!

MvdP will be most pleased with that more than anything today. Good strength at the end.

 

[RedheadDane]

And how we cycling fans overreact to any kind of emotion shows, other less demanding sports have more of it. I'd probably eat my rear tire if I were Pog.

I don't think there's anything wrong with a rider showing emotions after a race - I'm a Pinot-fan after all... - but I still think finding Pogacar and getting him calmed down would be a good idea.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

I find it somewhat ironic that for a thread that saw many people spending so much time earlier criticising people taking turns to have a hope of a podium spot that it's now full of people making fun of someone riding to win missing the podium lol.
.

I agree. Im never going to be cheering for a rider as dominant as Pogacar in any race, but he was uncompromisingly riding to win.

I think he misjudged what his best chance was, in that I think he’d in theory have had a better chance in a longer sprint. Although we now know that VDP had enough in the tank to smash him in any type of sprint anyway.