• The Cycling News forum is still looking to add volunteer moderators with. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Teams & Riders Official Wout Van Aert thread

Page 125 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
BR2

BR2

Feb 26, 2022
1,462
2,309
5,680
Visit site
I think the first lap really hurt van Aert, also the small accelarations overall - van der Poel set the pace most of the time, and while van Aert could follow him it was van der Poel who could ride his own rhythm.
Before the final sprint I thought van Aert looked a lot better in the last lap. Van der Poel seemed to hurt quite a bit. I would not necessarily have bet on van der Poel in the sprint, not sure if van Aert simply messed up the timing there, whether it is true he was focused on the barriers and not really mentally prepared for the sprint - maybe he simply thought he could win the sprint and didn't have a real plan how to do it - or maybe he was simply more tired than it looked like.
Overall he definitely rode too passively, but, well, hindsight.
Van der Poel led the race practically from start to finish. Despite the race not being that selective it looked like a dominant performance in the end.
 
  • Like
Reactions: noob and Barkintheeye
J

jono

Jan 31, 2021
639
897
6,180
Visit site
theyoungest said:
This is because they're playing cat and mouse, if they go full gas all race they beat the rest by at least 2 minutes. I don't think Van der Poel is going to get much better than this. As for Van Aert, I'm not sure what went wrong there but this didn't look like his best day this season.
Click to expand...
Do you really think so? He looked worse this season than in any other besides his lost season last year. The back injury makes it difficult, but do you think there's no chance he ever returns to past form?

I think WVA and MVDP timed their mini-peaks differently, which explains the results of the Christmas period vs Benidorm/Hoogerheide. This could mean that Wout's training better lines up for a classics period peak. But maybe not.
 
O

Oldermanish

Jan 31, 2016
3,343
5,653
19,180
Visit site
theyoungest said:
This is because they're playing cat and mouse, if they go full gas all race they beat the rest by at least 2 minutes. I don't think Van der Poel is going to get much better than this. As for Van Aert, I'm not sure what went wrong there but this didn't look like his best day this season.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't read too much into one race. It's easy to have a slightly off day and just hang on, if there is such a thing in CX.
 
T

theyoungest

Jan 11, 2010
14,811
3,443
28,180
Visit site
jono said:
Do you really think so? He looked worse this season than in any other besides his lost season last year. The back injury makes it difficult, but do you think there's no chance he ever returns to past form?

I think WVA and MVDP timed their mini-peaks differently, which explains the results of the Christmas period vs Benidorm/Hoogerheide. This could mean that Wout's training better lines up for a classics period peak. But maybe not.
Click to expand...
For most of this season he didn't look great, but yesterday he was the Mathieu of old, at least it looked that way to me. Maybe in the last few laps he did look a little more tired, which was his problem this whole cyclocross season, but unlike in those other races Wout couldn't capitalize on that.
 
glassmoon

glassmoon

May 19, 2012
5,246
2,464
20,680
Visit site
theyoungest said:
For most of this season he didn't look great, but yesterday he was the Mathieu of old, at least it looked that way to me. Maybe in the last few laps he did look a little more tired, which was his problem this whole cyclocross season, but unlike in those other races Wout couldn't capitalize on that.
Click to expand...
He (MVP) also lost few races because of small stupid mistakes otherwise he'd have at least few more wins this season... not peak related imho
 
Berniece

Berniece

Sep 12, 2022
4,090
5,279
13,180
Visit site
Skijumper Roglic fan said:
@Berniece:

Ah, last year‘s Giro stage where he beat MvdP after this long hard sprint gives me hope. Girmay really seems to be very, very strong…

He beat Laporte and Wout after 250km in Wevelgem. And he beat Kooij recently - who is already superfast and as strong as de Lie.

But Tirreno will tell us more…
Click to expand...
Yeah definitely, we'll see in Tirreno. I just wasn't that impressed with him last year. I mean obviously it was amazing what he did for his age, because sometimes you can forget he was only 22 years old, but at Gent-Wevelgem you basically had 38 riders finish together. E3 there was also Madouas and Narvaez. Also very good riders, just not MVDP and WVA at 100% of their capabilities.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Skijumper Roglic fan
J

jono

Jan 31, 2021
639
897
6,180
Visit site
stonerider said:
I don't think Wout looked at his peak for the CX Worlds but MvdP looked like the great 2019 version of MvdP. I'm hoping MvdP can produce a 2nd peak for the Flanders/PR timeframe.
Click to expand...
I agree with your first point but not the second. It's extremely unlike that MVDP could have gone from just about his worst ever cross form in the Christmas period to match his 2019 best in a matter of weeks.

I do hope both rivals are peaking for the spring classics.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Barkintheeye
F

frisenfruitig

Jul 28, 2010
952
708
12,180
Visit site
Berniece said:
According to the performance manager, Wout was at 97%, definitely not in top conditio. He said with this condition he can’t win a classic.
Click to expand...

He's just building up towards the classics so it defintely wouldn't be good if he was already close to peak condition. Same thing should apply to MVDP. They just prepare for the road season and pick up some CX races along the way, mostly for fun and some extra cash. Destroying all these other CX racers who do in fact peak for the CX season.
 
Barkintheeye

Barkintheeye

Feb 24, 2015
650
605
12,180
Visit site
stonerider said:
I don't think Wout looked at his peak for the CX Worlds but MvdP looked like the great 2019 version of MvdP. I'm hoping MvdP can produce a 2nd peak for the Flanders/PR timeframe.
Click to expand...

That sounds like a rationalization in retrospective. Neither of us can be sure but to me Wout looked really disappointed after the race. I am quite sure he came to Hoogerheide to win, and he knows what it takes and what to do. It would have been crazy to put a prep/base block - with the presumption to prepare for some later upcoming classics - knowing that the CX World Championship was up. Unless someone shows that Wout did just that and therefore weren’t at his best I just don’t buy that.

The real explanation is that MVDP came to Hoogerheide exceptionally determined and committed, started the race with a “win or loose all attitude” (he took a lot of risks during the race) and got Wout completely on the defensive. MVDP won the mental battle and that paid off as Wout didn’t trust himself when the finale and the sprint came. That’s why this was the most intense and best race of the season. They both came prepared and they put it all on the line but MVDP was more committed.
 
F

frisenfruitig

Jul 28, 2010
952
708
12,180
Visit site
Barkintheeye said:
That sounds like a rationalization in retrospective. Neither of us can’t be sure but to me Wout looked really disappointed after the race. I am quite sure he came to Hoogerheide to win, and he knows what it takes and what to do. It would have been crazy to put a prep/base block - with the presumption to prepare for some later upcoming classics - knowing that the CX World Championship was up. Unless someone shows that Wout did just that and therefore weren’t at his best I just don’t buy that.

The real explanation is that MVDP came to Hoogerheide very determined and committed, started the race with a win or loose all attitude and got Wout really on the defensive. MVDP won the mental battle and that paid off as Wout didn’t trust himself when the finale and the sprint came. That’s why this was the most intense and best race of the season. They both came prepared and they put it all on the line but MVDP was more committed.
Click to expand...

Both of them are just preparing for the upcoming classics. If you check WVA's Strava you can see he's just doing the same prep as the rest of the team who are also preparing for the classics (training camps in Spain etc.). Barring some small changes they really are just preparing for the road season. Neither of them were in peak condition, it's not necessary for them to win CX races.

As far as MVDP being more committed, I don't think so. He was just stronger that day and the parcours suited him better. WVA made a small mistake waiting too long to start his sprint but other than that MVDP was just better (which he admitted afterwards). He was barely able to hang on the first 30 minutes (his words).

It's not like if WVA was just a bit more committed he would have definitely won that race. Best case scenario he could have started sprinting a bit earlier but he still could have lost even then.
 
Barkintheeye

Barkintheeye

Feb 24, 2015
650
605
12,180
Visit site
frisenfruitig said:
Both of them are just preparing for the upcoming classics. If you check WVA's Strava you can see he's just doing the same prep as the rest of the team who are also preparing for the classics (training camps in Spain etc.). Barring some small changes they really are just preparing for the road season. Neither of them were in peak condition, it's not necessary for them to win CX races.

As far as MVDP being more committed, I don't think so. He was just stronger that day and the parcours suited him better. WVA made a small mistake waiting too long to start his sprint but other than that MVDP was just better (which he admitted afterwards). He was barely able to hang on the first 30 minutes (his words).

It's not like if WVA was just a bit more committed he would have definitely won that race. Best case scenario he could have started sprinting a bit earlier but he still could have lost even then.
Click to expand...

Peak and preparation aside, this was important to both of them. Very much! It was not of one the many CX outings they have had before.

Agree that Mathieu was better but he was prepared to put it all on the line. It was an all or nothing approach that you won’t see every race.

Agree on final point also. I don’t think Wout really stood much of a chance and already the Benidorm race had him on the backfoot. It was Van der Poel’s to lose, on a mistake or letting Wout into the race. Neither happened.
 
H

hayneplane

Sep 4, 2017
2,463
2,607
17,180
Visit site
Jagartrott said:
Not even Pidcock is at their level. I've heard yesterday that in the 107 CX races where WVA and MVDP both participated, only 4 were won by not one of them. 4/107.
Click to expand...
It’s why the cyclocross World Cup circuit feels a bit humdrum because guys like Sweeck and Iserbyt can battle for victory early in the season but whenever the big boys decide to dip in and out of the races they win with a crushing ease that makes watching the other riders seem pointless as the disparity is so big that tactics don’t have any effect.
 
  • Like
  • Wow
Reactions: noob, Sandisfan, Nick2413 and 1 other person
S

Sciatic

Mar 4, 2011
6,200
7,942
23,180
Visit site
hayneplane said:
It’s why the cyclocross World Cup circuit feels a bit humdrum because guys like Sweeck and Iserbyt can battle for victory early in the season but whenever the big boys decide to dip in and out of the races they win with a crushing ease that makes watching the other riders seem pointless as the disparity is so big that tactics don’t have any effect.
Click to expand...
But isn’t that to be expected—when two generational talents come up and are at their peaks at the same time? Inevitable that it happens sometimes, so we essentially get match races. Affirmed and Alydar.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Oldermanish, Bolder and Sandisfan
S

senna6541

Jan 18, 2020
592
801
5,780
Visit site
If they are close on form (which they were this year minus races where MVDP had back issues), MVDP is the superior CX racer. Simple as that. The data over a huge sample size supports that. His handle is visibly superior to Wout's -whether jumping barriers, cornering, crazy overtakes like the last one at Benidorm, etc. - it's not even close. Wout's performances in stage races (TT's, field sprints, mountain domestique) are superior to MVDP - easy to see that. At the end of the day, the big 1 day classics will decide who is "better", but it really doesn't matter because both are absolute freaks and will go down as legends. On to Strade Bianche...
 
  • Like
Reactions: hayneplane, Didinho, Carrick-On-Seine and 3 others
B

Bolder

Jun 25, 2015
5,025
4,866
23,180
Visit site
Sciatic said:
But isn’t that to be expected—when two generational talents come up and are at their peaks at the same time? Inevitable that it happens sometimes, so we essentially get match races. Affirmed and Alydar.
Click to expand...
Or the big 3 in tennis. When Federer, Djokovic or Nadal were on their game and healthy they were clearly superior, and their dominance has lasted more than a decade, too. Even more remarkable given how many tennis players there are.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan and Sciatic
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom