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Teams & Riders Official Wout Van Aert thread

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It's clear both WvA and MvdP were super exceptional and it's no miracle everyone in CX bar Toon Aerts kept losing to them

Now it shows even the best sprinters, classic riders and tt specialists are losing to either Van Aert or Van der Poel. They are once in a generation talents, well, in this case twice in a generation ;)
 
Re:

Dekker_Tifosi said:
It's clear both WvA and MvdP were super exceptional and it's no miracle everyone in CX bar Toon Aerts kept losing to them

Now it shows even the best sprinters, classic riders and tt specialists are losing to either Van Aert or Van der Poel. They are once in a generation talents, well, in this case twice in a generation ;)

I've been thinking about CX a bit, and I wonder if the full-body training doesn't help tremendously on the road. Cyclists are famous for structural imbalances, but if you're practicing running through mud, hopping on/off over obstacles and riding off-camber tracks, you'll get a super strong core and work some of those stabilizing muscles that you don't really get to do if you just stick to the road or indoor trainer. Not to mention bike handling skills and the ability to push big wattage for an hour. In a road race you can hide in the pack for most of the time, but if you can burst out for the last hour and push 400 Watts, then you're going to win a LOT of races/stages.

I know that for myself, when I find the discipline to hit the gym a few times a week my road endurance and power get better.
 
Nah, I don't think there's anything special. Afaik Nys was nowhere on the road and he trained like a total maniac.

I just think Van Aert and Van der Poel have been pushing eachother to the limit so many times they just pushed further ahead than anyone else in that sport has. And that is showing on the road.
 
Re:

Dekker_Tifosi said:
Nah, I don't think there's anything special. Afaik Nys was nowhere on the road and he trained like a total maniac.

I just think Van Aert and Van der Poel have been pushing eachother to the limit so many times they just pushed further ahead than anyone else in that sport has. And that is showing on the road.

Nys tried RR maybe three seasons, starting in 2002 or 2003. Obviously, he didn't stand a chance to an EPO peloton. That said, he did finish a decent PR in his first or second year. Close to a top 30 i think.

But even though i rate Nys as an allround CX rider (he really infused professionalism into the sport, he was the first rider to really push technical skills further than De Vlaeminck did decades ago, and he's been the only one to top 3 to 4 different generations of CX riders), Nys didn't have the same engine as Mathieu or Wout.

But i do think the one hour full out, "snot out of your eyes" efforts of working through mud and sand, accelerating after every obstacle or turn, are a good basis for sprinting and timetrialing.
 
I'll repeat what i said in the stage thread. He's the favorite to win, but he's also burnt a lot of matches. I think his biggest competitors are probably also not super fresh (Asgreen, Martin, Lampaert...) but i don't know about Küng, Kwiatkowski, Thomas... The stage he won, though three days ago, does suggest he is still rather fresh and recovers very well during the race. Fingers crossed.
 
Same really, WvA or Thomas, don't see who else will come close.

Can you think how crazy that is? It's his first season at a WT team, after showing classics potential at a PCT team. And nobody bats an eye he is the favorite for the TT and for tougher sprint stages as well.
:lol:
 
Re:

Dekker_Tifosi said:
Same really, WvA or Thomas, don't see who else will come close.

Can you think how crazy that is? It's his first season at a WT team, after showing classics potential at a PCT team. And nobody bats an eye he is the favorite for the TT and for tougher sprint stages as well.
:lol:

Don't know if you're insinuating anything, but i guess not just his, but also Mathieu's achievements kind of support the notion that they are just (both) insanely talented. Not to start another WVA vs MVDP discussion, i think they form a frame of reference for each other, now on the road. After Wout's 3rd place in Strade, Mathieu's high profile wins weren't as much of a surprise. And now Wout's results in the TDF, are in turn, also not so surprising anymore.
 
Re: Re:

Logic-is-your-friend said:
Dekker_Tifosi said:
Same really, WvA or Thomas, don't see who else will come close.

Can you think how crazy that is? It's his first season at a WT team, after showing classics potential at a PCT team. And nobody bats an eye he is the favorite for the TT and for tougher sprint stages as well.
:lol:

Don't know if you're insinuating anything, but i guess not just his, but also Mathieu's achievements kind of support the notion that they are just (both) insanely talented. Not to start another WVA vs MVDP discussion, i think they form a frame of reference for each other, now on the road. After Wout's 3rd place in Strade, Mathieu's high profile wins weren't as much of a surprise. And now Wout's results in the TDF, are in turn, also not so surprising anymore.

also he has trained his whole life for intense max output for an hour or less. a discipline he was world champion at three straight years...

on top of which, they worked on his TT position for 3 weeks before the dauphine.

seems actually VERY LOGICAL.
 
Re: Re:

Logic-is-your-friend said:
Dekker_Tifosi said:
Same really, WvA or Thomas, don't see who else will come close.

Can you think how crazy that is? It's his first season at a WT team, after showing classics potential at a PCT team. And nobody bats an eye he is the favorite for the TT and for tougher sprint stages as well.
:lol:

Don't know if you're insinuating anything, but i guess not just his, but also Mathieu's achievements kind of support the notion that they are just (both) insanely talented. Not to start another WVA vs MVDP discussion, i think they form a frame of reference for each other, now on the road. After Wout's 3rd place in Strade, Mathieu's high profile wins weren't as much of a surprise. And now Wout's results in the TDF, are in turn, also not so surprising anymore.

I'm not insinuating anything. I'm just looking back at how crazy it is that they are both already the reference for certain road races, and nobody is suprised or even bats an eye at that. Everyone expected it and they deliver

It's like a hype that seems justified. Unlike all the hypes that never really quite deliver
 
I looked at the odds for the time trial and whilst I think Wout is a worthy favourite for the stage 4/5 is way too skinny to take on. There are lots of decent TTers in the race but most of those have been worked hard for other team objectives and could lack freshness or have not shown too much recent form against the clock.

A tough one to call and a lot of each way value for cycling fans who like to add to their interest with a little bet.
 
Re:

hayneplane said:
I looked at the odds for the time trial and whilst I think Wout is a worthy favourite for the stage 4/5 is way too skinny to take on. There are lots of decent TTers in the race but most of those have been worked hard for other team objectives and could lack freshness or have not shown too much recent form against the clock.

A tough one to call and a lot of each way value for cycling fans who like to add to their interest with a little bet.
I think it'd be cool if WvA won, but I think GT and EB are going to destroy people. Destroy
 
Re: Re:

Ripper said:
hayneplane said:
I looked at the odds for the time trial and whilst I think Wout is a worthy favourite for the stage 4/5 is way too skinny to take on. There are lots of decent TTers in the race but most of those have been worked hard for other team objectives and could lack freshness or have not shown too much recent form against the clock.

A tough one to call and a lot of each way value for cycling fans who like to add to their interest with a little bet.
I think it'd be cool if WvA won, but I think GT and EB are going to destroy people. Destroy

Bernal is not going to destroy anybody today, why does someone always feel the need to wildly exaggerate Team Ineos' riders' abilities?
 
Re:

Dekker_Tifosi said:
bEcAuSe It'S cOoL aNd InEoS iS tHe BeSt ;)

Bernal isn't going to destroy anybody tho. Top 15 would be nice for him.
And I've yet to see a real good TT by Thomas this year. Not convinced he'd win
I generally think thomas is a bit overrated in TT's. Does he have any prestigious TT win except the 2017 Düsseldorf TT? (which he won in front of küng and past his prime kiryienka btw, not exactly 2009 cancellara)
Sure he is good, but he is no dumoulin and not even as good as froome when it comes to time trials. Van Aert is the more likely winner imo.
 
Re: Re:

Gigs_98 said:
Dekker_Tifosi said:
bEcAuSe It'S cOoL aNd InEoS iS tHe BeSt ;)

Bernal isn't going to destroy anybody tho. Top 15 would be nice for him.
And I've yet to see a real good TT by Thomas this year. Not convinced he'd win
I generally think thomas is a bit overrated in TT's. Does he have any prestigious TT win except the 2017 Düsseldorf TT? (which he won in front of küng and past his prime kiryienka btw, not exactly 2009 cancellara)
Sure he is good, but he is no dumoulin and not even as good as froome when it comes to time trials. Van Aert is the more likely winner imo.
Last year he would have won comfortably the TT at the Tour in front of both Dumoulin and Froome without softpedaling the descent and the corners in the finale to avoid risks since he was sure of his GC win.
 

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