Teams & Riders Official Wout Van Aert thread

[Dalanki]

Today’s stage win alone gives him a good case. He did, after all, just drop the entire Tour de France peloton, on a climb, and win the stage. Even the strongest climbers in the world - Jonas Vingegaard, Primož Roglič and Tadej Pogačar - could not match him, and Roglič may find himself to have been significant collateral damage in Van Aert’s attack, since he was distanced by Van Hooydonck’s surge while his team-mate Vingegaard was not. If the sole criterion for being the best cyclist in the world is to win a bike race, then Van Aert already qualifies.
However, the best cyclist doesn’t always win the bike race. Paradoxically it’s the run of second places that reinforces his claim to be the best in the world. He was second in the Copenhagen time trial, to the surprise winner Yves Lampaert. He followed that result with second places in the two subsequent bunch sprints. Time trialling and sprinting offer sufficiently different physiological challenges that to be able to compete in both is already vanishingly rare. Wout van Aert not only came within a whisker of winning both, but has now just won on a puncheur’s finish. (In case his all-round credentials weren’t already now fully established, remember that he also won a mountain stage of last year’s Tour.) Van Aert can win bunch sprints, TTs, on hilly courses and occasionally in the mountains. There’s nobody else in cycling who can do that - even Pogačar doesn’t figure in bunch sprints.
Being the best cyclist in the world means different things as different riders’ careers ebb and flow. Road cycling has such a broad range of challenges and events that points systems or even races alone rarely tell the full story. Sometimes the best cyclist in the world is the rider who is winning the Tour de France, the sport’s biggest race; sometimes it’s the rider who is dominating the Classics. Sometimes they are male, sometimes they are female. Sometimes it’s impossible to even tell: in 2012, Bradley Wiggins won the Tour and several other stage races while Tom Boonen won all four major Belgian spring Classics, and comparing was a matter of personal taste. Through spring and early summer last season, Mathieu van der Poel was the best cyclist in the world; then Pogačar took over, with wins in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Tour de France and Il Lombardia. Now it’s Wout van Aert.
But even beyond the results and run of high placings, it’s clear that Van Aert is illuminating this Tour de France with his riding style and presence. It’s Wout van Aert’s Tour - everybody else is just riding in it.

 

[SHAD0W93]

And @Samu Cuenca says I have slow internet.

 

[Red Rick]

Ask the whole peloton and directors which rider is just on another level and 90 percent will answer Van Aert. He is by far the most respected all-round cyclist. Check all the interviews. Pogacar, Wiggins, Van Der poel, pidcock, Sagan, roglic etc...., They all agreed who is by far the best in the world now: Wout Van Aert. Have u ever seen a tour de France winner praising a teammate with such admiration as
vingegaard did this year about van aert.

I'm perfectly happy to disagree with 90% of the peloton

 

[RedheadDane]

And @Samu Cuenca says I have slow internet.

But he can quote.
Himself.
Instantly.

 

[tobydawq]

I'm perfectly happy to disagree with 90% of the peloton

Isn't it just because you have some strange, very result-oriented criteria instead of any wish to use your eyes?

 

[SHAD0W93]

But he can quote.
Himself.
Instantly.

Has to make sure they get their point across.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Today’s stage win alone gives him a good case. He did, after all, just drop the entire Tour de France peloton, on a climb, and win the stage. Even the strongest climbers in the world - Jonas Vingegaard, Primož Roglič and Tadej Pogačar - could not match him, and Roglič may find himself to have been significant collateral damage in Van Aert’s attack, since he was distanced by Van Hooydonck’s surge while his team-mate Vingegaard was not. If the sole criterion for being the best cyclist in the world is to win a bike race, then Van Aert already qualifies.
However, the best cyclist doesn’t always win the bike race. Paradoxically it’s the run of second places that reinforces his claim to be the best in the world. He was second in the Copenhagen time trial, to the surprise winner Yves Lampaert. He followed that result with second places in the two subsequent bunch sprints. Time trialling and sprinting offer sufficiently different physiological challenges that to be able to compete in both is already vanishingly rare. Wout van Aert not only came within a whisker of winning both, but has now just won on a puncheur’s finish. (In case his all-round credentials weren’t already now fully established, remember that he also won a mountain stage of last year’s Tour.) Van Aert can win bunch sprints, TTs, on hilly courses and occasionally in the mountains. There’s nobody else in cycling who can do that - even Pogačar doesn’t figure in bunch sprints.
Being the best cyclist in the world means different things as different riders’ careers ebb and flow. Road cycling has such a broad range of challenges and events that points systems or even races alone rarely tell the full story. Sometimes the best cyclist in the world is the rider who is winning the Tour de France, the sport’s biggest race; sometimes it’s the rider who is dominating the Classics. Sometimes they are male, sometimes they are female. Sometimes it’s impossible to even tell: in 2012, Bradley Wiggins won the Tour and several other stage races while Tom Boonen won all four major Belgian spring Classics, and comparing was a matter of personal taste. Through spring and early summer last season, Mathieu van der Poel was the best cyclist in the world; then Pogačar took over, with wins in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Tour de France and Il Lombardia. Now it’s Wout van Aert.
But even beyond the results and run of high placings, it’s clear that Van Aert is illuminating this Tour de France with his riding style and presence. It’s Wout van Aert’s Tour - everybody else is just riding in it.

Imagine writing all this just to be wrong

Van art is a Belgian pozzato

He was in top form for 4 years and only won 1 big race (Sanremo), he isn't the best in the world.

Roglic on the same period won 3 grand tours, a monument and an Olympic gold

Pogacar won 2 grand tour and 2 monuments

Alaphilippe won wolrd championships (where van aert was the favourite) twice in a row, + monument + top 5 in the Tour.

Van der poel is better

Even remco is better this year

Van aert is a thermonuclear donkey

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

Imagine writing all this just to be wrong

Van art is a Belgian pozzato

He was in top form for 4 years and only won 1 big race (Sanremo), he isn't the best in the world.

Roglic on the same period won 3 grand tours, a monument and an Olympic gold

Pogacar won 2 grand tour and 2 monuments

Alaphilippe won wolrd championships (where van aert was the favourite) twice in a row, + monument + top 5 in the Tour.

Van der poel is better

Even remco is better this year

Van aert is a thermonuclear donkey

You’re not in the pro peleton and you don’t use your eyes
Everyone including Marco Haller knows you are wrong.

 

[rallybanana]

in 2012, Bradley Wiggins won the Tour and several other stage races while Tom Boonen won all four major Belgian spring Classics, and comparing was a matter of personal taste.

I think most people would consider Ronde van Vlaanderen, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Fleche Wallonne and Gent–Wevelgem as the four major Belgian spring classics. Boonen never won two of these races and he only won three Belgian spring classics in 2012.

It's important to get these facts correct before accusing others of not having some basic knowledge about cycling.

 

[frisenfruitig]

Imagine writing all this just to be wrong

Van art is a Belgian pozzato

He was in top form for 4 years and only won 1 big race (Sanremo), he isn't the best in the world.

Roglic on the same period won 3 grand tours, a monument and an Olympic gold

Pogacar won 2 grand tour and 2 monuments

Alaphilippe won wolrd championships (where van aert was the favourite) twice in a row, + monument + top 5 in the Tour.

Van der poel is better

Even remco is better this year

Van aert is a thermonuclear donkey

I'm not sure if this is some weak trolling attempt or if this is just the ramblings of a 12 year old. I'm hoping for the latter because if this was written by an adult then that's just sad.

 

[Ricco']

I'm not sure if this is some weak trolling attempt or if this is just the ramblings of a 12 year old. I'm hoping for the latter because if this was written by an adult then that's just sad.

Well, he is partly true.

Given the strength he shows when is at his best, and the ability shown to be a factor in a multitude of terrains (TT, Uphill punch finishes, sprints, cobbles, even on some mountains), his potential to win conversion ratio in big races is pretty low when he should be at the absolute peak of his career.

Compared with Boonen who at the same period (2005-2008 Boonen vs. 2019-2022 Van Aert - same age) already had 2 Ronde van Vlaanderen, 2 Paris-Roubaix, 1 World Championship, 4 stages at the Tour and a green jersey, 3 E3 and 2 stages at the Vuelta, Van Aert's palmares is a bit pale on comparison.

And with this comparison, I know it's different eras and Boonen had a strong team, but just to say that the difference in ability while at their peak between Boonen and Van Aert is not the same as their palmares show. Given his talents, Van Aert should have a much stronger curriculum by now.

Comparing with Boonen because I think Van Aert is the best Belgian rider regarding potential for the cobbled classics since Tommeke.

 

[frisenfruitig]

Well, he is partly true.

Given the strength he shows when is at his best, and the ability shown to be a factor in a multitude of terrains (TT, Uphill punch finishes, sprints, cobbles, even on some mountains), his potential to win conversion ratio in big races is pretty low when he should be at the absolute peak of his career.

Compared with Boonen who at the same period (2005-2008 Boonen vs. 2019-2022 Van Aert - same age) already had 2 Ronde van Vlaanderen, 2 Paris-Roubaix, 1 World Championship, 4 stages at the Tour and a green jersey, 3 E3 and 2 stages at the Vuelta, Van Aert's palmares is a bit pale on comparison.

And with this comparison, I know it's different eras and Boonen had a strong team, but just to say that the difference in ability while at their peak between Boonen and Van Aert is not the same as their palmares show. Given his talents, Van Aert should have a much stronger curriculum by now.

Comparing with Boonen because I think Van Aert is the best Belgian rider regarding potential for the cobbled classics since Tommeke.

He didn't even mention Boonen, he said Van Aert is a Belgian Pozzato which frankly is just an idiotic statement.

 

[Ricco']

This forum needs to stop taking Ilmaestro posts so seriously.

Belgian Pozzato is just funny banter, I think, but if we stop looking so literally to what is being said, he compared Van Aert's achievements to several other top riders from this age, and evidence shows that, despite all the strength and abilities shown, the other top riders are way better, so far, in converting their opportunities to wins and have a far better palmares despite the relative difference in strength on a bike being not that high between Van Aert and them.

 

[IndianCyclist]

Don't think he is a Belgian potato
Even if he does nothing in the rest of the calendar, he does so much at the biggest cycling race that serves as 80% of the exposure of cycling that any sponsor would be happy to have him, paltry palmares notwithstanding. He is only behind yellow jersey winner and Pogacar in terms of exposure.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

This forum needs to stop taking Ilmaestro posts so seriously.

Belgian Pozzato is just funny banter, I think, but if we stop looking so literally to what is being said, he compared Van Aert's achievements to several other top riders from this age, and evidence shows that, despite all the strength and abilities shown, the other top riders are way better, so far, in converting their opportunities to wins and have a far better palmares despite the relative difference in strength on a bike being not that high between Van Aert and them.

Thank you for eloquently expressing my point in a way I could not. Very good post.

He didn't even mention Boonen, he said Van Aert is a Belgian Pozzato which frankly is just an idiotic statement.

Don't know why some patriotic Belgian fans need to act like Van Aert's mum, accusing those who point out simple facts as being a troll and getting offended when they make a comparison to anoter riders.

 

[Boes]

Thank you for eloquently expressing my point in a way I could not. Very good post.

So you're saying he's the Belgian Pozzato after all????
Next thing you'll say is that Remco isn't the Belgian Spilak and my mind would be blown.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Nice victory in Plouay today…

Now that 2022 is going towards its end, I, for the first time ever, have the feeling that WVA has become equal, or even slightly better, than MvdP.

Let‘s see what the last weeks of 2022 will bring, but Wout‘s season until now was absolutely incredible.

What impressed me most is that he can do everything. He‘s almost always the best. In January in Val di Sole, on a course of 100% pure snow, and in July, winning his usual three TdF stages, finishing around rank 20 in GC, and winning Green.

Now he will want to become RR WC…

 

[Kaptain Kool]

I haven't seen the race yet but it kind of reminds me of the 2013 edition. Not sure why, tho.

 

[yaco]

A ridiculous victory - Tried to bridge to the breakaway with 30kms to go and was caught in the middle - Backed off and countered every attack in the last 30kms and still sprinted to the victory.

 

[frisenfruitig]

A ridiculous victory - Tried to bridge to the breakaway with 30kms to go and was caught in the middle - Backed off and countered every attack in the last 30kms and still sprinted to the victory.

Yeah I just watched a recap, pretty damn impressive. Wasted so much energy then still dusted everyone in the sprint, in the interview afterwards he said he can still improve on that for the WC. He's going to be the main favorite, like in pretty much any race he enters. It's going to take a super MVDP/Ala/Pogacar to keep him from taking the jersey imo.

Looks like we'll have a decent team there with both Remco and WVA as leaders.

 

[SHAD0W93]

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/wout-van-aert-extends-with-jumbo-visma-until-end-of-2026/

 

[Red Rick]

Bit sad for Van Aert he didn't really get a chance. But not cleaning up that sprint for 2nd after being in the wheels all day straight up isn't good.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

So Little Remco misbehaved again and Mighty Wout isn't happy about it.

 

[Netserk]

Bit sad for Van Aert he didn't really get a chance. But not cleaning up that sprint for 2nd after being in the wheels all day straight up isn't good.

That's not true though. Unlike Laporte and Matthews, he was in the fastest group on Mount Keira, we saw him attack on Mount Pleasant on the penultimate lap(?) and on the last lap we only saw that he bridged across to the chase group together with Bettiol, so he had clearly been active before that.

 

[Red Rick]

That's not true though. Unlike Laporte and Matthews, he was in the fastest group on Mount Keira, we saw him attack on Mount Pleasant on the penultimate lap(?) and on the last lap we only saw that he bridged across to the chase group together with Bettiol, so he had clearly been active before that.

I don't think it should have a huge effect unless he was pulling on the flats much.

Now in an interview he said he didn't know they were sprinting for 2nd, make of that what you will.