106th Ronde van Vlaanderen: April 3rd, 2022

[AlfaLum]

I get all that, chapeaux VDP, but for me it still was ugly to watch. To each his own and I had no particular interest in seeing Pogi win.

Why? Pogacar forced VDP to take the lead with 1,2km to go. Then when VDP asked Pogacar to take over it was Pogacar who started the “ugly” tactics by not doing it.

Van der Poel is phenomenal in many things, but his acceleration is probably his best tactics. So it was a great decision to drop the pace to such a low speed. Pogacar just made a lot of errors in that final kilometer. But I have seen no ugly tactics by both of them to be fair.

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

Why? Pogacar forced VDP to take the lead with 1,2km to go. Then when VDP asked Pogacar to take over it was Pogacar who started the “ugly” tactics by not doing it.

Van der Poel is phenomenal in many things, but his acceleration is probably his best tactics. So it was a great decision to drop the pace to such a low speed. Pogacar just made a lot of errors in that final kilometer. But I have seen no ugly tactics by both of them to be fair.

True but I was hoping for a reverse scenario to the 2019 Amstel Gold when he breezed past the two leaders.

 

[Breezy1985]

BTW, still stuck on the train?

Na currently listening to the polka version of Sex on Fire surrounded by drunk people dancing on tables by Oudenaarde train station.

 

[postmanhat]

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?

 

[Ricco']

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?

Pogi looked a couple of times back.

Probably as not being so used to this kind of sprint dynamics, misjudged distances and speeds and thought they would be safe for a fight between the two.

 

[Sciatic]

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.

I can see how you got your forum name if this is your idea of logic.

 

[Extinction]

I can see how you got your forum name if this is your idea of logic.

What's yours? Logic has nothing to do with it, but preferences. I'd rather have seen a clean 2 up sprint that Pogi loses than the end we got. But it's fine.

 

[Netserk]

How the second Kwaremont unfolded:

Trentin leads the peloton on the climb with Pogi on his wheel. MvdP is in ~20th position.

First images we see of Pogi's attack. He has Senechal, Asgreen, Pidcock on his wheel with Campenaerts and Narvaez gapped.

Pogi passes all but Garcia from the intermediate group, and we can identify the order of all the riders at this point: Van der Hoorn - Mozzato, Garcia, Kanter - Pogi, Asgreen, Pedersen - Turner - Van Hooydonck, Stybar, Le Gac, De Vylder, Grignard - Haller, Vermeersch - Wellens, Geniets, Swift, Bettiol, Pidcock, Küng, Steimle, Van der Poel, Senechal, Laporte - Campenaerts, Dewulf, Van Dijke, Tratnik - Boaro (with the rest of the peloton)

Shortly afterwards we get an aerial shot that shows the gaps between the groups. Pogi still leads his attack. A very few seconds after this we see that he has only Van der Hoorn left to pass.

Pogi catches the last man standing, he now leads the race. Van der Poel is the Alpecin rider behind the FdJ duo Le Gac - Küng.

Now Van der Poel surges, first taking the front and then chasing full gas.

When we see the head of the race again, Van der Poel has bridged together with Küng, Pidcock too a moment later. We can see Laporte, Swift and Wellens a little behind.

Status after Kwaremont.

 

[Sciatic]

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.

 

[Frankschleck]

I get all that, chapeaux VDP, but for me it still was ugly to watch. To each his own and I had no particular interest in seeing Pogi win.

I am sorry, but this makes no sense. Pogacar could just have taken the lead under the kite and driven faster. Van der Poel isn't signed as his lead out man, he is going to try to win the race. Brilliant ride by them both, but Pogacar has only himself to blame for missing the podium. He would probavly have lost either way as you can see Van Der Poel immediatly creates a gap when he accelerates.

 

[Red Rick]

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.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Good race and a well deserved winner! However, what really made my day was that I got to watch the race together with none other than Johan Museeuw and talk with him for 3 hours!

 

[Netserk]

Pogi looked a couple of times back.

Probably as not being so used to this kind of sprint dynamics, misjudged distances and speeds and thought they would be safe for a fight between the two.

While the wind came from their left (which is why everyone in the end was in the right side of the road), it was also clearly a mistake to be so close to Van der Poel's rear wheel and with his own front wheel between that and the banner, instead of keeping a clear path towards the middle of the road.

 

[Extinction]

I am sorry, but this makes no sense. Pogacar could just have taken the lead under the kite and driven faster. Van der Poel isn't signed as his lead out man, he is going to try to win the race. Brilliant ride by them both, but Pogacar has only himself to blame for missing the podium. He would probavly have lost either way as you can see Van Der Poel immediatly creates a gap when he accelerates.

Indeed Pogi has blamed himself, but having made the race until the sprint, it was a shame he got boxed in, although it's not certain he would have lost either way had they had a proper sprint between themselves, which is my only grievance.

 

[tobydawq]

Good race and a well deserved winner! However, what really made my day was that I got to watch the race together with none other than Johan Museeuw and talk with him for 3 hours!

Wow, how did that come to pass?

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Wow, how did that come to pass?

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!

 

[Sciatic]

What's yours? Logic has nothing to do with it, but preferences. I'd rather have seen a clean 2 up sprint that Pogi loses than the end we got. But it's fine.

I apologize—No place for personal attacks. Carry on.

 

[Extinction]

Pogi looked a couple of times back.

Probably as not being so used to this kind of sprint dynamics, misjudged distances and speeds and thought they would be safe for a fight between the two.

Perhaps he also felt after all he had done he wasn't going to play into VDP's bluff and lead the dutchman out in the sprint. Hubris? Perhaps, but had he gone to the front and lead out the sprint and lost? On the other hand, as it turned out, he should have just charged through and called VDP out on his bluff and come what may. He may have won or not, but at least the sprint between them would have been real.

 

[Extinction]

I apologize—No place for personal attacks. Carry on.

No, I was not offended. Your point is valid, I just was disappointed that we didn't get to see a proper sprint between them.

 

[Sciatic]

No, I was not offended. Your point is valid, I just was disappointed that we didn't get to see a proper sprint between them.

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.

 

[Oldermanish]

Watch the overhead again

I'm just checking in on page 50 of this string. Sciatic is correct; Tadej blew it.
The way he was sitting on VDP suggested he might be a bit tired, too. I don't recall him being that reluctant to launch in recent times and he'll think about that one for awhile? Foreever.

 

[Extinction]

I'm just checking in on page 50 of this string. Sciatic is correct; Tadej blew it.
The way he was sitting on VDP suggested he might be a bit tired, too. I don't recall him being that reluctant to launch in recent times and he'll think about that one for awhile? Foreever.

Well, it was monsieur VDP. Respect (I mean, as in Tadej isn't stupid). On the other hand, it could be Pogi felt (obviously now to his failure) that he simply wasn't responsible to lead out the Duthchman, having basically made the race till that point.

 

[tobydawq]

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!

Damn. That's a cool experience!

I didn't even know you could watch cycling at any bars in Aarhus.

 

[Lequack]

Is MVDP hungry for more?

 

[noob]

Is MVDP hungry for more?

That image is golden!