I love how different reading this topics live reactions is from what the actual riders say after the race.
Here its stuff like "Van Aert closed the gap for MVDP and all he had to do is wheelsuck." Or the classic "the chasers aren't working and letting Mathieu win".
Then you read the actual riders reaction:
Pogacar: "Van der Poel sprinted to the top and there was nothing I could do. I was completely dead"
Van Aert: "I was counting the meters until the top when Pogacar paced and then it turned out Van der Poel had something extra. There was no way I was even thinking of following that. In the downhill I paced immediately but Van der Poel only gained time".
See the difference? People are quick to complain but bad to recognize when the strongest rider is simply up the road and winning lol.
Here its stuff like "Van Aert closed the gap for MVDP and all he had to do is wheelsuck." Or the classic "the chasers aren't working and letting Mathieu win".
Then you read the actual riders reaction:
Pogacar: "Van der Poel sprinted to the top and there was nothing I could do. I was completely dead"
Van Aert: "I was counting the meters until the top when Pogacar paced and then it turned out Van der Poel had something extra. There was no way I was even thinking of following that. In the downhill I paced immediately but Van der Poel only gained time".
See the difference? People are quick to complain but bad to recognize when the strongest rider is simply up the road and winning lol.