Mathieu Van der Poel

[red_flanders]

Vermeersch's ride was definitely a red flag, for sure. In fact, the whole of Alpecin was a bit lol. As LR said, they took a bunch of random kermesse racers and made them into a Classics super team. Keilich, Reisebeek, Planckaert. Who are these guys?

This is my issue. The whole team on the front from such an incredibly long way out. Splitting and bossing the peloton from 150 km out. It's nuts. They just destroyed everyone and MVDP just finished the job...from 60 km out. The rest of the peloton was absolutely smashed. Just grim. Not reasonable in any way.

 

[zlev11]

is Alpecin the new Ferrari team?

 

[kingjr]

is Alpecin the new Ferrari team?

With a full-strength Jumbo at the starting line, this race looks very different.

 

[zlev11]

With a full-strength Jumbo at the starting line, this race looks very different.

yeah but they you'd just have two teams way ahead of everyone else, turning whatever rider they want into an ass kicker. doesn't make anyone look any cleaner.

 

[kingjr]

yeah but they you'd just have two teams way ahead of everyone else, turning whatever rider they want into an ass kicker. doesn't make anyone look any cleaner.

I was just answering your question. Alpecin is certainly not the new Ferrari team.

 

[Hugh Januss]

Vermeersch's ride was definitely a red flag, for sure. In fact, the whole of Alpecin was a bit lol. As LR said, they took a bunch of random kermesse racers and made them into a Classics super team. Keilich, Reisebeek, Planckaert. Who are these guys?

Red flag for what, though? Do you contend that there is some sort of magic pill that can boost performance to this extent while being totally untraceable?

 

[red_flanders]

Red flag for what, though? Do you contend that there is some sort of magic pill that can boost performance to this extent while being totally untraceable?

Historically, and by that I mean "every time we've all seen performances that seem unreal for way too long a time", we have not know the "how" until after someone gets busted. I don't know how anyone here could know what they're doing, or who has access, etc.

 

[Red Rick]

That tdf tt was 25km or so, with some small hills in it, the giro tt´s were 9 and 16 km (or thereabouts) and raced on rather technical courses.
Bug yeah, " he was always a great tt´er, but didn´t focus on it". Same trope aw with Froome, Vignegaard,....

Literally his only good ITTs have been very technical ones while on flat pure power and pure CdA courses he gets like 15th at best

 

[zlev11]

I was just answering your question. Alpecin is certainly not the new Ferrari team.

well i just meant it as the latest team to hire Ferrari. he was working with Astana in 2019 and i have a suspicion he was working with Bahrain in 2021. both of those teams have fallen off quite a bit and the team that's stepped up since has been Alpecin. Visma's level has been steady for all of those years.

 

[pastronef]

well i just meant it as the latest team to hire Ferrari. he was working with Astana in 2019 and i have a suspicion he was working with Bahrain in 2021. both of those teams have fallen off quite a bit and the team that's stepped up since has been Alpecin. Visma's level has been steady for all of those years.

Astana fallen off a cliff
Bahrain not too much
Bahrain '22: Sanremo, Fleche, Andalucia. podium Giro, Tirreno, Itzulia, Lombardia. stage wins: Giro, Tirreno, Suisse, Romandie.
Bahrain '23: stageTDUnder, 2 stages Giro, 3 stages TDF, 1 stage Vuelta. podium: Fleche, Liege, Romandie, PaysBasque, San Sebastian. WT win Pologne.

 

[zlev11]

Astana fallen off a cliff
Bahrain not too much
Bahrain '22: Sanremo, Fleche, Andalucia. podium Giro, Tirreno, Itzulia, Lombardia. stage wins: Giro, Tirreno, Suisse, Romandie.
Bahrain '23: stageTDUnder, 2 stages Giro, 3 stages TDF, 1 stage Vuelta. podium: Fleche, Liege, Romandie, PaysBasque, San Sebastian. WT win Pologne.

yeah they still have something for sure, but they were destroying the world in 2021

 

[staubsauger]

Ta-da!
Alpecin's team doctor is ex Vacansoleil physician Peter Lagrou. Formally in charge at Astana in 2009 when they were rumored to be aborning AICAR users in the peloton!

 

[zlev11]

Ta-da!
Alpecin's team doctor is ex Vacansoleil physician Peter Lagrou. Formally in charge at Astana in 2009 when they were rumored to be aborning AICAR users in the peloton!

do you know of any other teams he's been at? in between Vacansoleil and now?

 

[staubsauger]

do you know of any other teams he's been at? in between Vacansoleil and now?

Tinkoff when Contador had his 2014 renaissance!

That physician seems to have a special field: AICAR!

 

[ivanic]

well i just meant it as the latest team to hire Ferrari. he was working with Astana in 2019 and i have a suspicion he was working with Bahrain in 2021. both of those teams have fallen off quite a bit and the team that's stepped up since has been Alpecin. Visma's level has been steady for all of those years.

are you sure that MF is enough nowadays? I mean, I'm not so sure he even knows what they're using.

there's one thing that drives me crazy, new fans (those born from 2000/2001 onwards) call you boomer, ignorant conspiracy theorist.
You recognize them because they have the pronouns in their bio, she/her he/him, for them doping does not exist, these performances are all natural.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Tinkoff when Contador had his 2014 renaissance!

That physician seems to have a special field: AICAR!

Yes he was Sagan's doctor too I believe

Also Radioshack it seems like?

We should chip in and send a clinic representative undercover to book a consultation

Dr Peter Lagrou Sports Doctor | doctoranytime

Book an online appointment with Dr Peter Lagrou Sports Doctor Koksijde. See prices, schedules and specialities in a few clicks on doctoranytime!

www.doctoranytime.be

 

[zlev11]

are you sure that MF is enough nowadays? I mean, I'm not so sure he even knows what they're using.

there's one thing that drives me crazy, new fans (those born from 2000/2001 onwards) call you boomer, ignorant conspiracy theorist.
You recognize them because they have the pronouns in their bio, she/her he/him, for them doping does not exist, these performances are all natural.

dont know what the pronouns have to do with it, but i agree with the rest. i do remember though, the people who called Lance a doper 15-20 years ago were also called "conspiracy theorists" and look how that turned out.

 

[zlev11]

Yes he was Sagan's doctor too I believe

Also Radioshack it seems like?

interesting. was he at Radioshack with Lance or was it after he retired?

 

[Ripper]

Yes he was Sagan's doctor too I believe

Also Radioshack it seems like?

We should chip in and send a clinic representative undercover to book a consultation

Dr Peter Lagrou Sports Doctor | doctoranytime

Book an online appointment with Dr Peter Lagrou Sports Doctor Koksijde. See prices, schedules and specialities in a few clicks on doctoranytime!

www.doctoranytime.be

Oooo ... send me. I want to be the oldest WT newbie ever. Where there is a will there is a way my friends!

Actually, never mind! LOL

 

[Ripper]

Oh, and the ketones Apparently also supported by the good doctor

https://en.brujulabike.com/ketones-alpecin-deceuninck/

The consumption of ketones reaches Alpecin-Deceuninck

Alpecin-Deceuninck adds among its new sponsors DeltaG Ketones, a company specialized in the marketing of ketones.

en.brujulabike.com

 

[Salvarani]

To be fair, kermesse racing is totally nuts and really not that off the pace of many a world tour race.

That does not take away from your point though, which I otherwise completely agree with. AD we're just hilarious ... who would have thought they could completely control any race?

What other team had guys to rival them here though? As they outside of having a pretty experienced team, with many classics under their belt, they also hade the two main favorites and one of them being the huge favorite for the win.

A lot of other teams had been severely decimated even before the race and there were a bunch of young guys for many teams. Some of them doing really well, which is good for the future but it was too early to rival AD and MVDP here. Consider a team like SQS falling completely off the map for these races. There are many factors here contributing to their dominance.

The AD guys outside of the trio rode their asses of until they were done, then finished far down. Say what you will about that, not saying something is not going on, but sometimes yall exaggerate as well.

 

[pastronef]

yeah they still have something for sure, but they were destroying the world in 2021

destroying the world ahah. yes, Roubaix and Eneco Tour were strong. stages at the TDF like in 2023, 2 stages at the Giro like in 2023, stage at the Vuelta line in 2023. they got GT wins in Burgos and Croatia and a few more stages here and there.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Yes he did, and with much of that his own personal TT. LOL.

And yes, it does somewhat remind me of Canc. With the only exception being that Canc staying away a'la TT was something easier to believe given he was known for his TT capabilities. Not that I think he did not have some form of assistance, or find other aspects of his exploits utterly unplausible.

its not like VDP is known for soloing basically all his cyclocross races since forever. Heck in the 2017/2018 seasons he just went lap 1 and nobody ever saw him for another hour.

VDP soloing in itself is not weird. His TT is lacking because the guy never trains on a TT bike.

 

[Ripper]

What other team had guys to rival them here though? As they outside of having a pretty experienced team, with many classics under their belt, they also hade the two main favorites and one of them being the huge favorite for the win.

A lot of other teams had been severely decimated even before the race and there were a bunch of young guys for many teams. Some of them doing really well, which is good for the future but it was too early to rival AD and MVDP here. Consider a team like SQS falling completely off the map for these races. There are many factors here contributing to their dominance.

The AD guys outside of the trio rode their asses of until they were done, then finished far down. Say what you will about that, not saying something is not going on, but sometimes yall exaggerate as well.

Indeed! But what part of my post did I exaggerate?

 

[zlev11]

destroying the world ahah. yes, Roubaix and Eneco Tour were strong. stages at the TDF like in 2023, 2 stages at the Giro like in 2023, stage at the Vuelta line in 2023. they got GT wins in Burgos and Croatia and a few more stages here and there.

cmon that is so disingenuous. the way they won races in 2021 was much different. you have to actually watch the races instead of just looking up results.