Mathieu Van der Poel

[Ripper]

Yes I think there are always odd outliers produced by race circumstances, tactics, weather conditions, so single data points and the odd warp-speed race alone can indicate whatever you want it to, it proves nothing. The problem is that the graph above isn't some sort of outlier or fluke, you plot the speed of pretty much every big classic and Grand Tour in the past 4 years and it will show the same thing.

If the increase in speeds were due to multiple marginal optimisations in technology, nutrition, training over many years then the data would look a bit more linear, things getting slowly faster. It is not change itself that gives it away but the rate of change, a massive noticeable spike in 2020 is hard to explain away with opaque references to more carbohydrates and 'these young lads being a different breed'. Sky won 7 Tours, Froome would be pack fodder on some of these climbs, are they now saying that everything they did in the 2010s was incorrect?

I always thought eventually with advancements that they could reach the level of Armstrong, but they already have done, the big red flag being waved is how much they are starting to look like Indurain, Pantani and the Gewiss-Ballan's of the world. No legal change in approach I know of can make anywhere near the difference like the unrestricted Erythropoietin and transfusion usage they had in the 90s.

Great analysis!

 

[Mayomaniac]

Back to normal today, so he travels back to Spain to recharge.
I expect him to be a lot stronger in LBL, but that won't help against Pogacar...

 

[Slavique Nuke]

If there's no money involved, like an appearance fee or a sponsor asking him to attend, I doubt he'll be at the LBL. The nearest date you'll see him fighting for victory is early August.

 

[pastronef]

If there's no money involved, like an appearance fee or a sponsor asking him to attend, I doubt he'll be at the LBL. The nearest date you'll see him fighting for victory is early August.

why? he trained yesterday, was never bothered, never lost contact on climbs, never breathed hard.

 

[AmRacer]

why? he trained yesterday, was never bothered, never lost contact on climbs, never breathed hard.

Somewhere he lost contact with Pidders.

 

[pastronef]

Somewhere he lost contact with Pidders.

and I'm glad he did, I'm a Pidcock/Ineos fan. but he never looked in trouble. just never followed the attacks (and I'm not a VDP fan, I'm happy he didn't smash the race yesterday)

 

[Slavique Nuke]

why? he trained yesterday, was never bothered, never lost contact on climbs, never breathed hard.

If MvdP had only been there for training then Alpecin would not have worked so hard in the race. I'm sure MvdP wanted to win, he just didn't have the legs.