Teams & Riders Official Wout Van Aert thread

[Netserk]

Good ride today by Wout. Not in flying form, but improvements being made.

Similar Algarve to last year. Strong showing in the last stage then too.

 

[Ripper]

Similar Algarve to last year. Strong showing in the last stage then too.

I thought he was a lot stronger in this TT than last year's Algarve TT (or final stage). Last year he was farther up the GC though

 

[Netserk]

He will ride both Brabantse Pijl and Amstel.

 

[Peyroteo94]

He will ride both Brabantse Pijl and Amstel.

Good news. Probably only rider to challenge Pogacar

 

[Ripper]

I wonder if Wout doesn't like to race aggressively or is unable to (like he's on the limit or something). He is almost always chasing these days; never trying something risky, like a long-range attack. In a race like today, which arguably doesn't matter very much to him, what a perfect training opportunity to try new things

 

[Peyroteo94]

He is washed (not kidding). He is a human now and not an alien anymore. There is a Big 1 and 3 half bigs (MVP, Remco and Vingegaard).

 

[Red Rick]

Yeah why doesn't he just click the magical "I win" button.

 

[E_F_]

Yeah why doesn't he just click the magical "I win" button.

Didn't he do that on the Bosberg 3 years ago or something?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

To be fair to him, it actually looked like he could miss out on even being in the front group at one point, and he had his nose in the wind for far longer than some of those that beat him in the sprint. He doesn't look like an upcoming monument winner at the moment, that's for sure, but it's difficult to judge how he will fare a month from now.

A month ago, I could barely move due to excruciating pain in my lower back, and today I walked for two hours without needing to sit down multiple times. As Whitney and Mariah once sang, there can be miracles when you believe!

 

[Unchained]

He is washed (not kidding). He is a human now and not an alien anymore. There is a Big 1 and 3 half bigs (MVP, Remco and Vingegaard).

He rode excellent obviously and was there in the crunch, lost the race like all but one of 30+ excellent finishers.
You mention a big and 3 half bigs, none of them contested the sprint so their greatest is an imaginary result..
Ain't nothing wrong with Wout other than crashing every season to put some rehab component into his schedule, Remco and Vingegaard know all about it!!!

 

[Ripper]

To be fair to him, it actually looked like he could miss out on even being in the front group at one point, and he had his nose in the wind for far longer than some of those that beat him in the sprint. He doesn't look like an upcoming monument winner at the moment, that's for sure, but it's difficult to judge how he will fare a month from now.

A month ago, I could barely move due to excruciating pain in my lower back, and today I walked for two hours without needing to sit down multiple times. As Whitney and Mariah once sang, there can be miracles when you believe!

LBP truly sucks! Glad to see you're doing much better

 

[Ripper]

It's like he's too laid back to be a true monument winner

Edit - and like you somehow sees himself as a sprinter when it comes to classics

 

[Peyroteo94]

He rode excellent obviously and was there in the crunch, lost the race like all but one of 30+ excellent finishers.
You mention a big and 3 half bigs, none of them contested the sprint so their greatest is an imaginary result..
Ain't nothing wrong with Wout other than crashing every season to put some rehab component into his schedule, Remco and Vingegaard know all about it!!!

Wout's base level must be better than all classics riders (excluding MVP and Pogi).

 

[Red Rick]

He's stupid for not just riding away but also just not that good anyway. Also, not having more watts is both physical and mental weakness.

 

[Didinho]

His 30’ effort (TT) was really good. Like in CX. But the longer ones are still far off his level. Seen in his first race and today he was on the limit where he would normally make the race.
Hope he can get better every month. We need him at his best.

 

[Balthazar]

Wout still has tomorrow and an altitude camp but today is just way off the form he needs to win in Flanders or Roubaix. Not winning in the really big one day races for quite some time now seems to have knocked him confidence wise as well. If he doesnt make an impression tomorrow and gets pummeled in the E3 you can probably write him off for Flanders and Roubaix. Its just such a gamble skipping San Remo I feel like for him, he is always gonna be in the hunt there.

 

[AmRacer]

He rode excellent obviously and was there in the crunch, lost the race like all but one of 30+ excellent finishers.
You mention a big and 3 half bigs, none of them contested the sprint so their greatest is an imaginary result..
Ain't nothing wrong with Wout other than crashing every season to put some rehab component into his schedule, Remco and Vingegaard know all about it!!!

There wouldn't be a bunch sprint with any of the missing 4 racing.

 

[Red Rick]

He said in the post race interview that he kept being in wrong positions because the legs were bad. Not much more to it really.

 

[jono]

There wouldn't be a bunch sprint with any of the missing 4 racing.

You think Vingegaard would do something in this race??

 

[Peyroteo94]

Are people really crazy to think, this WVA will win anything against MVP or Pogacar? He never looked so bad in his entire career 6 weeks before Ronde. His base level always was good enough to win or being close to win in February.
Unfortunately, he is past his prime and I don't think he will ever be good enough to win monuments (at least winning on power and not tactics).

 

[Berniece]

Are people really crazy to think, this WVA will win anything against MVP or Pogacar? He never looked so bad in his entire career 6 weeks before Ronde. His base level always was good enough to win or being close to win in February.
Unfortunately, he is past his prime and I don't think he will ever be good enough to win monuments (at least winning on power and not tactics).

The idea of Visma and WVA is that he used to peak too early, or that he tried to maintain a high level for too long. They deliberately want to postpone that level, with the hope that he can peak higher. He's going on altitude camp after this weekend, and we'll see where he's at when he's riding E3.

 

[hayneplane]

The idea of Visma and WVA is that he used to peak too early, or that he tried to maintain a high level for too long. They deliberately want to postpone that level, with the hope that he can peak higher. He's going on altitude camp after this weekend, and we'll see where he's at when he's riding E3.

There is some merit to that as last couple of years they dominated the cobbled campaign then ran out of gas just when the biggest races reached their pivotal moments.

So far it looks like his lowest level since being a full time road rider in a world tour team but if they really have got his seasonal plan right then he can be a big threat still.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I wonder if Wout doesn't like to race aggressively or is unable to (like he's on the limit or something). He is almost always chasing these days; never trying something risky, like a long-range attack. In a race like today, which arguably doesn't matter very much to him, what a perfect training opportunity to try new things

he already changed tactics to ride defensively after he got clapped by VDP a couple of times riding with him. But now he just seemed sub-par not even being able to follow or fight for position in some places.

He still has a month to get into shape though

 

[Berniece]

There is some merit to that as last couple of years they dominated the cobbled campaign then ran out of gas just when the biggest races reached their pivotal moments.

So far it looks like his lowest level since being a full time road rider in a world tour team but if they really have got his seasonal plan right then he can be a big threat still.

Not to mention they expect him to ride the Giro and TDF in top shape too. So we really can't expect him to be great this weekend.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

A month ago, I could barely move due to excruciating pain in my lower back, and today I walked for two hours without needing to sit down multiple times. As Whitney and Mariah once sang, there can be miracles when you believe!

Hope things keep getting better for you mate