Teams & Riders Official Wout Van Aert thread

[Big Doopie]

So Wout can never be allowed to go for the rainbow without being considered selfish?

no. Not what I said.

He still has to play the tactics that give the TEAM the best shot. And those are this years tactics (that clearly should have been the tactics in 2021 as well). Which were exactly the tactics that many on here said should be taken.

Remco and WvA compliment each other and put other teams in a real quandary. Best shot for WvA is to wait to see if other teams chase and wear themselves out after Remco. He would have almost no chance of winning with the entire team working only for him.

the best tactics for belgium don’t need to change just because Remco has now won.

 

[red_flanders]

WvA winning should only come out of other teams wearing themselves out chasing Remco. WvA does no work and sprints from small or even large group. But if the chase does not organize I hope he will once again allow Remco his chance and not expect it to now be “his turn”.

I'm with ya on all counts. I would give about a .0000000001% chance Remco cares about whose turn it is while he's been in the jersey all year. He should have a free hand. If they also want to give Wout one, great, they should.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

So Wout can never be allowed to go for the rainbow without being considered selfish?

His chances increase exponentially by letting Evenepoel do his thing. I can't imagine other countries letting Evenepoel ride off into the sunset for the next decade, so it is no more than likely that they will chase him down next time. It's always a gamble, especially with Evenepoel, but it's one he has to take if he wants to win it. And if they bring Evenepoel back, i think then he should attack himself with 10k to go (haven't checked the route, but generally speaking), because he's been successful with such attacks, and he hasn't really been successful with sprints from small groups after a hard race. He got beaten by Laporte and Matthews at the WCC, he got beaten by Van der Poel in RVV, he got beaten by Hermans in Liège, lost to Pidcock in BP... He only won by a hair from Pidcock in Amstel and Alaphilippe at MSR. I think there are more examples but i'm too lazy and need to get some sleep.

 

[tobydawq]

His chances increase exponentially by letting Evenepoel do his thing. I can't imagine other countries letting Evenepoel ride off into the sunset for the next decade, so it is no more than likely that they will chase him down next time. It's always a gamble, especially with Evenepoel, but it's one he has to take if he wants to win it. And if they bring Evenepoel back, i think then he should attack himself with 10k to go (haven't checked the route, but generally speaking), because he's been successful with such attacks, and he hasn't really been successful with sprints from small groups after a hard race. He got beaten by Laporte and Matthews at the WCC, he got beaten by Van der Poel in RVV, he got beaten by Hermans in Liège, lost to Pidcock in BP... He only won by a hair from Pidcock in Amstel and Alaphilippe at MSR. I think there are more examples but i'm too lazy and need to get some sleep.

Hmm, I on the other hand can't see anybody ever preventing Remco from riding off into the sunset.

 

[Red Rick]

Hmm, I on the other hand can't see anybody ever preventing Remco from riding off into the sunswt.

Need the right riders to actually commit fully to "just ride on Evenepoels wheel" for 6 hours. How complicated this strategy is depends heavily on the route, but you should really know the modus operandi of splitting a group off very early in the race at this point.

I am pretty convinced though that Evenepoel and Van Aert being on the same team only benefits Evenepoel. The idea would be that he can force others to work, but generally if you have to chase Evenepoel you're already lost.

 

[tobydawq]

Need the right riders to actually commit fully to "just ride on Evenepoels wheel" for 6 hours. How complicated this strategy is depends heavily on the route, but you should really know the modus operandi of splitting a group off very early in the race at this point.

I am pretty convinced though that Evenepoel and Van Aert being on the same team only benefits Evenepoel. The idea would be that he can force others to work, but generally if you have to chase Evenepoel you're already lost.

I fully agree.

 

[Salvarani]

I understand why Van Aert may have felt a way after Leuven. That was the time they should have fully backed him.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Need the right riders to actually commit fully to "just ride on Evenepoels wheel" for 6 hours. How complicated this strategy is depends heavily on the route, but you should really know the modus operandi of splitting a group off very early in the race at this point.

I am pretty convinced though that Evenepoel and Van Aert being on the same team only benefits Evenepoel. The idea would be that he can force others to work, but generally if you have to chase Evenepoel you're already lost.

Yeah it’s a stronger Develdor/Terpstra and Boonen Quickstep combo with Evenepoel and WVA being stronger in their respective areas. All Belgium has to do is protect both riders, and sit on wheels when Evenepoel attacks. If Belgium still has numbers, no one would want to work. Would need a strong Pogacar, MVDP, etc. to disrupt it. Would be nice to see all four of those coming up to a finish together.

 

[tobydawq]

I understand why Van Aert may have felt a way after Leuven. That was the time they should have fully backed him.

Didn't they do that but then it turned out he wasn't on a great day?

 

[Salvarani]

Didn't they do that but then it turned out he wasn't on a great day?

I must have watched a different race and I believe it is more complicated than that.

 

[stonerider]

So Wout can never be allowed to go for the rainbow without being considered selfish?

He has to go about winning it like the old Wolfpack days from 2 or 3 years ago. The first rider to get in a break, either Wout or Remco, just has to hold it until the end. The other rider has to just follow the chase group and then take their chances if they catch the leaders. May the best man win.

 

[Salvarani]

He has to go about winning it like the old Wolfpack days from 2 or 3 years ago. The first rider to get in a break, either Wout or Remco, just has to hold it until the end. The other rider has to just follow the chase group and then take their chances if they catch the leaders. May the best man win.

There is a clear loser and clear winner in that scenario.

 

[stonerider]

There is a clear loser and clear winner in that scenario.

There's only one winner...so you speak the truth.

 

[Netserk]

His chances increase exponentially

Exponentially? How so?

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Need the right riders to actually commit fully to "just ride on Evenepoels wheel" for 6 hours. How complicated this strategy is depends heavily on the route, but you should really know the modus operandi of splitting a group off very early in the race at this point.

I am pretty convinced though that Evenepoel and Van Aert being on the same team only benefits Evenepoel. The idea would be that he can force others to work, but generally if you have to chase Evenepoel you're already lost.

Even if that were the case, that's simply "tough luck" for Van Aert. Though i've been a long time fan and believer in Van Aert, i think we can all agree best he can expect/hope for is a role as co-leader. And unless he wants to start attacking solo from 70k from the finish himself, then there is little else for him to do than let Evenepoel do his thing and hope that other countries hunt him down.

It's not as if nobody ever closed the gap on Evenepoel. It's not as if he wins every race by attacking from far and solos to victory. Not only isn't that possible every time, but also an organized chase can reel him back (yes it has happened). If he attacks, rivalling leaders need to react. If they didn't and he's gone, then domestiques need to chase him (and whoever did go with him) down. And Van Aert simply has to react when other rivalling leaders get into action. Every time Evenepoel attacks, every extra meter they need to chase him, is in fact good for Van Aert, assuming they eventually do catch him. I also think that if Evenepoel hasn't been able to go solo before the last 15km, he could well commit to a role as supporting rider for Van Aert. He can also do a mean lead-out.

Exponentially? How so?

^^

 

[Big Doopie]

I also think that if Evenepoel hasn't been able to go solo before the last 15km, he could well commit to a role as supporting rider for Van Aert. He can also do a mean lead-out.

that would be so awesome to see.

 

[pastronef]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1608440507000098817

View: https://twitter.com/pedatn/status/1608440507000098817

 

[Red Rick]

Zwarte Piet seriously does Van Aert think it's 2015?

 

[Berniece]

Doesn’t surprise me he says this, he’s basically the embodiment of all generic Flemish people

 

[Red Rick]

Doesn’t surprise me he says this, he’s basically the embodiment of all generic Flemish people

The more I think about it the dumber the quote is tbh.

 

[tobydawq]

The more I think about it the dumber the quote is tbh.

Is that because you think about that it's Van Aert and that you don't like him?

I don't see how it is that stupid, honestly, but then again, I am not a public figure nor one who cares too much what public figures say as long as it isn't too outrageous.

 

[Arnout]

I think it's fair to debate the current focus on 'woke' issues to an extent: he's actually is right that people who enjoyed Zwarte Piet did this without negative / racist annotations - it doesn't make it a great tradition but the debate often devolves into painting groups of people as racist instead of dencouncing the tradition as unacceptable (you might have to live in the Netherlands or Belgium to understand the full scope and depth of this debate).

In my opinion it's more concerning that he considers this a bigger negative trend than a certain invasion of Ukraine, even though I remember him speaking out on this during the first days of the invasion.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Lol Belgian Pozzato. I told you all he is no clever

 

[Red Rick]

Is that because you think about that it's Van Aert and that you don't like him?

I don't see how it is that stupid, honestly, but then again, I am not a public figure nor one who cares too much what public figures say as long as it isn't too outrageous.

Not really.

On one hand it's a broad, sweeping statement that has to have a semblance of truth because it's just that broad, so you can't really say "no that's factually incorrect". On the other hand there's a LOT of *** going on in the world right now, so picking wokeness or some *** as the problem that's the first one on your mind is kind of baffling to me, especially if you cite Zwarte Piet, which was basically people getting angry for the sake of it but it's an issue that's pretty outdated and right now noone really gives a *** about anymore.

Like, inflation is sky high, people struggle to afford energy, there's a cost of living crisis, and there's a giant land war in Europe, but your 1st thought is to moan about wokeness I think that's a pretty big brain fart at best.

But ofcourse you think I dislike him so I am foaming at the mouth to discredit his every fart. Whatever you want to think.

 

[Valv.Piti]

This quote makes me like Wout even more. I dont know much of Zwarte Piet, but im 100% on board with his general sentiment