106th Ronde van Vlaanderen: April 3rd, 2022

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Kristoff another top 10 is pretty cool. I wouldn’t completely write him off for Roubaix, after seeming like he was washed up earlier this season.

Kristoff has never really performed in Roubaix, so I would be really surprised if he is fighting for at top 5 there.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Is MVDP hungry for more?

As long as they haven't put mayonnaise on it...

 

[Sciatic]

Kristoff has never really performed in Roubaix, so I would be really surprised if he is fighting for at top 5 there.

True, Ronde has always been the better race for him. And I’m definitely not saying he would be a favorite in any way, but perhaps be in contention.

 

[Extinction]

Understood. That happens to me too watching bike races. As with today, there is often a slow tense build-up to the finale, and sometimes I get an image in my mind’s eye of what is about to unfold—but something totally different happens.

And that is bike racing. Still, I was rouxing the day! After coverage from start to finish on Rai.

 

[Valv.Piti]

He was involved in some kind of collaboration between Visit Flanders and a bar, Hantwerk, in Aarhus, so he joined the bar to watch the race and I was lucky enough to get to sit right next to him!

Ronde van Borum If im not mistaken? I think he came to race that race. I was actually supposed to ride that race a few years back.

We also got to see him on TV (well, I imagine you watched TV2 as well), and they chose to make a 2-3 min interview just as Pogacar launched his first attack. Good grief what amateurs, me and my father was cursing at Museeuw, telling him to shut the *** up and let us get back to the racing. Lmao.

 

[Breh]

Both FDJ and Movistar were actually pretty good.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

MVDP was in front, constantly looking over his shoulder, and so was aware of the position of the chasers and the speed they were arriving at. My impression was that Pogacar was focussed on MVDP ahead of him, and so unaware of the situation behind him?

I think in general MVDP is much much more experienced in small group sprints, which are the bulk of his road racing victories, than Pogacar. Pogacars bulk of victories probably come from mountain sprints and solo's. Not much tactics involved there.
It was a mistake waiting to happen.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

MvdP averaged ~320W for the final 12km after the descent, then slowed down to under 200W in the final 1200m and then hit almost 1000 for 20s with a spike of 1400W in the sprint. I don't think Pog was ever winning that sprint.

Like I said before the race. Unless Pogacar drops him on the climbs I don't see him beating VDP in a group sprint. He couldn't in San Remo, he wouldn't here either.

 

[Red Rick]

Like I said before the race. Unless Pogacar drops him on the climbs I don't see him beating VDP in a group sprint. He couldn't in San Remo, he wouldn't here either.

But Pogacar almost beat Van Aert that one time when Van Aert did nearly all the work and still decided to sprint with like 300m to go

 

[search]

Both FDJ and Movistar were actually pretty good.

if Cortina had worked with Küng when those two tried to bridge to van Baarle & Wright, it could have been even better. In the end, a couple of seconds of advantage before the Koppenberg was exactly what Küng would have needed - he looked fairly comfortable on all other climbs.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

But Pogacar almost beat Van Aert that one time when Van Aert did nearly all the work and still decided to sprint with like 300m to go

yeah if VDP launches at 400m he might have had a shot. Clearly.
Heck VDP even launched pretty far today... 240m ish.

 

[Kwibus]

Fine, but I only saw Pog making the race on the lase 3, 4 bergs. I just didn't like after all Pog had done to give them an advantage, for certainly it was not VDP's merit, the way it turned out under the circumstances.

You sound like someone that hasn't watched a lot of cycling in his life. Pogacar most likely was the strongest, that doesn't give him the right to win. He didn't manage to drop VDP and VDP did more then his share of work on the 'normal' roads. This is called bike racing. I'm glad Pogacar understands this and he certainly doesn't have bad blood about this.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

You sound like someone that hasn't watched a lot of cycling in his life. Pogacar most likely was the strongest, that doesn't give him the right to win. He didn't manage to drop VDP and VDP did more then his share of work on the 'normal' roads. This is called bike racing. I'm glad Pogacar understands this and he certainly doesn't have bad blood about this.

first thing Pogacar did was congratulate VDP on instagram. So yeah.

Pogi knows the game, he knows he has to drop him on the climbs. And on the flats VDP worked just as hard. Probably harder in the last 6km as I saw Pogi taking some short pulls and doing some lesser turns, which is his right as lesser sprinter. That's how cycling works.

 

[Extinction]

You sound like someone that hasn't watched a lot of cycling in his life. Pogacar most likely was the strongest, that doesn't give him the right to win. He didn't manage to drop VDP and VDP did more then his share of work on the 'normal' roads. This is called bike racing. I'm glad Pogacar understands this and he certainly doesn't have bad blood about this.

I've been watching cycling for 40 years, racing over much of that period too thank you. Pogacar was without a doubt the strongest, he was the lighthouse of the race in the last 50 k and so "deserved" to win, but of course that doesn't mean, as you well know, he gets to win. Anyway, my intial reactions were simply over not getting to see a proper sprint between them. Ce la vie. I'm over it now.

 

[Valv.Piti]

I've been watching cycling for 40 years, racing over much of that period too thank you. Pogacar was without a doubt the strongest, he was the lighthouse of the race in the last 50 k and so "deserved" to win, but of course that doesn't mean, as you well know, he gets to win. Anyway, my intial reactions were simply over not getting to see a proper sprint between them. Ce la vie. I'm over it now.

I share that last frustration as well, theres always some small 'what if' but hey, it is what it is. He most likely wouldn't have won anyways, but it would be interesting to see.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Like RR said, VDP hit almost 1000W for 20s with a peak of 1400w. I don't think Pogacar would've won regardless. Sure as could've gotten 2nd, even in that 4 man sprint. All in all, he only has himself to blame

 

[Extinction]

I share that last frustration as well, theres always some small 'what if' but hey, it is what it is. He most likely wouldn't have won anyways, but it would be interesting to see.

When I watch a race and see who is crushing it more than the others, invariably I would like to see him get the trophy on sympathy alone. I don't know, however, if he had charged forward instead of playing to VDP's tactic (right as it was for him), he still would have lost. Because they snapped into the sprint from a near "stand-still," which favored the Dutchman's initial explosivity. Yet Tadej in a more rolling sprint and after 270k can be devestating, as his win in Liege showed. So I say 50/50 and that's what I'd have liked to see. Pacem.

 

[Kwibus]

I've been watching cycling for 40 years, racing over much of that period too thank you. Pogacar was without a doubt the strongest, he was the lighthouse of the race in the last 50 k and so "deserved" to win, but of course that doesn't mean, as you well know, he gets to win. Anyway, my intial reactions were simply over not getting to see a proper sprint between them. Ce la vie. I'm over it now.

I should've read on a bit more before quoting an by now allready older comment by you. I know that feeling certainly as well and sometimes that doesn't help rationalism Ofcourse the race deserved an fair 1 vs 1 sprint, but somehow I really enjoyed the upcoming guys this time.

I find Pogacar amazing. I love the fact that he loves to race all out which is kind of a trend these days which is ofcourse is fantastic. What I like most about him is the fact that he wants to win all the big races, not jus the TdF. I mean today he almost won the Flanders which is just madness! I'm sure he'll give Roubaix a dig as well some day.
What I don't like though is one guy winning everything so I'm glad he didn't win this race in that regard. Maybe it was kind of an relieve I guess. Still looking forward to him racing here again next year!

 

[Valv.Piti]

Nobody or at least very few think he would've won regardless, but the human brain works in mysterious ways and has a desire to see it played out before it gets to rest. Thats why we still talk about that 2014 Tour de France on here (probably a bad example as that legitimately was a race impossible to predict with Nibali 2 min up on Froome/Contador, all 3 riders basically being in peak shape).

 

[Extinction]

I should've read on a bit more before quoting an by now allready older comment by you. I know that feeling certainly as well and sometimes that doesn't help rationalism Ofcourse the race deserved an fair 1 vs 1 sprint, but somehow I really enjoyed the upcoming guys this time.

I find Pogacar amazing. I love the fact that he loves to race all out which is kind of a trend these days which is ofcourse is fantastic. What I like most about him is the fact that he wants to win all the big races, not jus the TdF. I mean today he almost won the Flanders which is just madness! I'm sure he'll give Roubaix a dig as well some day.
What I don't like though is one guy winning everything so I'm glad he didn't win this race in that regard. Maybe it was kind of an relieve I guess. Still looking forward to him racing here again next year!

To be honest, I wanted to see "Merckx", because I started following cycling in the Hinault-Fignon-Lemond era! Otherwise, I agree with you.

 

[Extinction]

Nobody or at least very few think he would've won regardless, but the human brain works in mysterious ways and has a desire to see it played out before it gets to rest. Thats why we still talk about that 2014 Tour de France on here (probably a bad example as that legitimately was a race impossible to predict with Nibali 2 min up on Froome/Contador, all 3 riders basically being in peak shape).

Well I think it is fair to say with Tadej another type of sprint would have given him a fighting chance, but alas we shall never know. Think about the sprint between MVDP and Asgreen last year. Mathieu wins that one 9 times out of 10 and yet he lost. Just sayin.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Yeah but last year, Mathieu launched at 190meters and stopped sprinting (legs were full of acid) with 50m to go.
This year he launched with 230m (forced by chasers) and kept sprinting until he was 2 bike lengths ahead.
He had more left than last year. Or well, simply put, was stronger than last year.

 

[Extinction]

Yeah but last year, Mathieu launched at 190meters and stopped sprinting (legs were full of acid) with 50m to go.
This year he launched with 230m (forced by chasers) and kept sprinting until he was 2 bike lengths ahead.
He had more left than last year. Or well, simply put, was stronger than last year.

Funny that, since MVDP said he never had so much lactic acid in his legs as when he tried to keep up with Tadej on the Paterberg. Honestly it makes sense though, because, in effect, once he got hitched to the Tadej train he was able to recover, as he didn't make the race before. Whereas last year he made the race. It often happens that the one who makes the race drains himself a bit more, even while making the other die 3 times to keep up or in keeping up, having died 3 times on the wheel, in some cases suddenly comes back to life in the end. Of course, it can also be that the one who died 3 times on the wheel never gets a second wind. It just depends. Cycling is a strange bird.

 

[tobydawq]

I think in general MVDP is much much more experienced in small group sprints, which are the bulk of his road racing victories, than Pogacar. Pogacars bulk of victories probably come from mountain sprints and solo's. Not much tactics involved there.
It was a mistake waiting to happen.

Well, he won Liège in a sprint. Ilmaestro will say that he also had to sprint to win Il Lombardia.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Well, he won Liège in a sprint. Ilmaestro will say that he also had to sprint to win Il Lombardia.

with all due respect to Alaphilippe, but his flat sprint isn't as good as WvA or VDP. Although still quite dangerous after a hard race.
Also, Alaphilippe often is a bit more tactically inept in his sprints as well. Has the power, but not always uses his brain