Teams & Riders Official Wout Van Aert thread

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Jan 10, 2019
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I don't think anything was wrong with the preparation for the 2021 Tour. He had a very good Tour de Suisse with 2 strong stage wins and then that awesome 1st week. The biggest troubles came after that Tour.
Yeah indeed he was really good there, but did only 9 days or so. Want to see him go crazy for 3 weeks, see what he can do. And prepare for the WC.
 
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Aug 6, 2010
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Belgian tv wondering if Van Baarle is prepared to work 200% for Wout van Aert... you can't make this stuff up. The defending champion has to sacrifice himself completely for the guy who has never won a cobbled monument. I think it's not even in the interest of Van Aert if that's the case.


This 200% figure killed me.
 
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Mar 20, 2022
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Without a doubt, Roubaix is the race that suits him the most. Even If I am not a fan (and was a little rude to him when I saw him attack after Degenkolb's crash but sometimes I need to understand bike racing is cruel sometimes), I still would like to see him win one more monument. He deserves more.
 
May 14, 2017
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When it rains it pours. But that´s how cycling works. Not always about the best legs (even though MVP probably was just as good). Always a little bit of luck involved. And this season he has been on the wrong side of it more often than not.
 

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Jan 14, 2023
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I feel for Van Aert class guy and this is his best race where he can actually compete vs MVDP and was unlucky today no doubt but i suspect the amount of work MVDP did from 90km and still have that much left i suspect hes on some freakish form and somewhat becomed stronger than before after finishing his first GT's )atleast thats the word on the streets from the former pros and evidently which this classic campaign also clearly showed!
 
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May 29, 2011
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The eternal bridesmaid just doesn't catch a break. Someone please tell me he has a blue-collar background, too, and I will start rooting for him.
 
Jul 16, 2015
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I've said it before & I'll say it again: monuments are to Wout van Aert what the Tour de France is to Primož Roglič: cursed.

It's just an accumulation of unfortunate events, time after time, year after year. That puncture was almost comically evil in its timing but the fate Laporte suffered had already laid the foundations for the unfortunate sad ending to come.

I hope WvA wins the Worlds this year, I really do.
 
May 3, 2010
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I feel sorry for Van Aert, especially after all the negative criticism about "not being able to handle 250 km" and all that nonsense.

In monuments it's now 4-1 between MvdP and him, and that doesn't seem fair. 3-2 would have been a better reflection of their abilities. He just needs a little bit of luck, but doesn't seem to get it. If I were him I would still go to Liège, but that doesn't seem to be the plan.
 
Jan 10, 2019
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I feel sorry for Van Aert, especially after all the negative criticism about "not being able to handle 250 km" and all that nonsense.

In monuments it's now 4-1 between MvdP and him, and that doesn't seem fair. 3-2 would have been a better reflection of their abilities. He just needs a little bit of luck, but doesn't seem to get it. If I were him I would still go to Liège, but that doesn't seem to be the plan.
He lost his sprint again after 250km.
I'm just kidding, he will get another monument. Especially here in Roubaix he will have his portion of luck, he always got the legs. This suits him so well, it will fall into place one day.
 
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Aug 3, 2015
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4 big duels with MvdP so far this year.

Hoogerheide, San Remo, De Ronde, Roubaix.

4 famous defeats.

This can't just be a physical thing.
Would argue E-3 was a big duel as well. That race actually means something and is one of the best races of the year, year-in and year-out.

But yeah, doesnt look good. Overmatched in MSR and Flanders, today just as good (or better, who knows).
 
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Mar 20, 2022
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Would argue E-3 was a big duel as well. That race actually means something and is one of the best races of the year, year-in and year-out.

But yeah, doesnt look good. Overmatched in MSR and Flanders, today just as good (or better, who knows).
No it wasn't, both Pogacar and MVP didn't ride 100% to crack WVA in E3. It is really a prep race, where the favourites see the level of their rivals.
 
Would argue E-3 was a big duel as well. That race actually means something and is one of the best races of the year, year-in and year-out.

But yeah, doesnt look good. Overmatched in MSR and Flanders, today just as good (or better, who knows).

I love to watch E3, and Wout did great by winning race, so, yeah, on paper you can call it 4-1 in duels if you want.

But that ignores reality.

This E3 was a preview race for De Ronde.

MvdP even called it a 'good training' and was quite happy afterwards.

From a morale sense, E3 was far from a Wout victory, given that he was dropped twice on the hills. Wout himself told Jan Bakelants the next day that he thought Pog and Mathieu could've pushed on and dropped him for good if they'd really wanted to, but he suspected they were happy knowing they could do so 9 days later. And that's what they did.
 
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Jun 6, 2017
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He's going to win this Roubaix some day, I'm sure. It suits him down to the ground. For De Ronde I'm not so sure...
 
May 12, 2015
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It's just a damn shame they didn't get to battle it out on the Velodrome. Would have been the perfect ending to this race. But yeah, that's cycling. And especially PR.
Best case scenario was 2 against 1 really. Would have been difficult for WVA to win.