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Teams & Riders Official Wout Van Aert thread

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I'm not sure excuses/explanations for not being the strongest makes you the strongest. In terms of races, Van Baarle is actually winning and placing more consistently higher in bigger races. But he has the team, Jumbo not so good in one day, that's why I said, his stage racing performances this year have been far superior to one day.

At the start of the classics campaign most people thought Jumbo now had the strongest team and that's still arguable. However they stick to the sole leader thing while Ineos adopted the classic QS tactic of any one of four of five guys could end up being the one given the opportunity.
It'll be fascinating to see if Van Baarle joins them will they still put all their eggs in one basket.
 
I'm not sure excuses/explanations for not being the strongest makes you the strongest. In terms of races, Van Baarle is actually winning and placing more consistently higher in bigger races. But he has the team, Jumbo not so good in one day, that's why I said, his stage racing performances this year have been far superior to one day.

I was merely commentating on the fact that you said he's not the strongest because of his results in monuments. He was arguably the second strongest riders in both Roubaix and MSR, sick in RVV and the strongest rider in Omloop, E3 and the bigger part of Paris-Nice. Guys like Van Baarle, all be it really strong riders, tend to get more freedom then WVA and win both because they're strong but also because the race conditions favoured him (kudos to Ineos).

The only guys that can be seen on the same level were not present in most of the races for a variety of reasons. MVP injury, Pogacar & Alaphippe other scedules. So yes, I do argue he's the strongest rider in the spring classics. I do agree that 1 monument (MSR) and a few other classics (GW, E3, Omloop, strade and Amstel) is a bit of a meager result for a rider like WVA.
 
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I really hope hes winning Liege. Then the strive-for-five thing could be a real thing!

I never really know who I rooted for the most out of MVP and Wout (big fan of both), but after watching Roubaix, I now know Im in the Wout corner where I found myself rooting for him to drop Mathieu. He did, but it wasnt enough unfortunately.
 
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I really hope hes winning Liege. Then the strive-for-five thing could be a real thing!

I never really know who I rooted for the most out of MVP and Wout (big fan of both), but after watching Roubaix, I now know Im in the Wout corner where I found myself rooting for him to drop Mathieu. He did, but it wasnt enough unfortunately.
Find myself going back and forth too tbh. Woudln't have been unhappy if they'd pulled Van Baarle back and Van Aert had won, but I guess I'm not very chauvinistic this way
 
Impressive, but he needs to win soon. Some of that has been bad luck, but I really hope he starts winning these monuments very soon. I think he woulda won Flanders this year, but oh well. I think Wout is the 2nd best rider in the world, just behind Pogacar, but he doesnt have too much to show for it so far in the biggest of one day races.. unfortunately.
 
It seems he timed his peak well this spring, without covid I think he'd have netted one of the bigger wins.
Chances are he would have won at least Roubaix or Flanders, yes, with all the information we have before and after covid. Maybe even both, who knows.

Oh well. I hope his job is not to slave away for Roglic and Vingegaard in July, that would be a waste.
 
Chances are he would have won at least Roubaix or Flanders, yes, with all the information we have before and after covid. Maybe even both, who knows.

Oh well. I hope his job is not to slave away for Roglic and Vingegaard in July, that would be a waste.
What's he gonna do, go for sprints?

Landa must be free. Van Aert can be chained for all I care. He only gets to sprint if he takes away bonis from Pogacar.
 
What's he gonna do, go for sprints?

Landa must be free. Van Aert can be chained for all I care. He only gets to sprint if he takes away bonis from Pogacar.
Thinking Sagan 2015, 50% own ambitions, 50% helping the team. Truth to be told I dont even know the sprint field these days (and couldnt really care less), but yeah, Im thinking he should contest flat stages which he has shown he is able to.
 
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Thinking Sagan 2015, 50% own ambitions, 50% helping the team. Truth to be told I dont even know the sprint field these days (and couldnt really care less), but yeah, Im thinking he should contest flat stages which he has shown he is able to.
I think he should be free to do his own sprints, but he should definitely be caged for the cobbles. Obviously adjust plans based on what happens on the road.
 
Impressive, but he needs to win soon. Some of that has been bad luck, but I really hope he starts winning these monuments very soon. I think he woulda won Flanders this year, but oh well. I think Wout is the 2nd best rider in the world, just behind Pogacar, but he doesnt have too much to show for it so far in the biggest of one day races.. unfortunately.
He's just warming up. His record is already better than Philippe Gilbert or Sean Kelly when they were the same age as Van Aert is now.

MSRRVVRBXLBLLOMWRR
Van AertApr 202212232
GilbertFeb 20103352416
KellyDec 198348121013
 
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