Teams & Riders Official Wout Van Aert thread

[ChewbaccaDefense]

4th isn't better than 5th, when you were never really a factor in the race nor for the win. Dang, I'm hoping that something changes.

 

[Red Rick]

Next time he sprints for the win, tell him it's for 4th place.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

outsprinting Matthews today is an improvement over the last couple of attempts.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

outsprinting Matthews today is an improvement over the last couple of attempts.

Fair point

Hopefully, he's a year of good luck away from being relevant for wins, again.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Does anyboby know if he will try LBL?

 

[Red Rick]

Does anyboby know if he will try LBL?

Next race should be the Giro.

If he doesn't take a short break now he's probably gonna burn himself out.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

First competent sprint of the year for him, while today won't have him any less worried about future classic campaigns he can at least take heart from that going into the Giro. Pedersen will still be favoured over him pretty much everywhere though.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

wva vs the madman in the giro could be really fun. Game on.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

First competent sprint of the year for him, while today won't have him any less worried about future classic campaigns he can at least take heart from that going into the Giro. Pedersen will still be favoured over him pretty much everywhere though.

But after today, Pederson is somewhere saying "Maybe I shouldn't have pulled so much?"

 

[Devil's Elbow]

But after today, Pederson is somewhere saying "Maybe I shouldn't have pulled so much?"

Nah, Pedersen will be saying 'see, you can totally make it to a sprint with Pogacar!'.

 

[Medvind]

Van Aert must be a bit furious with himself that he did latch on to Remco's wheel when he attacked. If he had managed to do that, then... hell he might have won!

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Van Aert must be a bit furious with himself that he did latch on to Remco's wheel when he attacked. If he had managed to do that, then... hell he might have won!

Endurance: Check
Sprint: looking better
Acceleration uphill: zilch, zero, nada

 

[Brullnux]

First competent sprint of the year for him, while today won't have him any less worried about future classic campaigns he can at least take heart from that going into the Giro. Pedersen will still be favoured over him pretty much everywhere though.

I think that today was on par with Ronde. The race was way harder than the edition he won, and not even peak 2022 Van Aert would've been able to cope with Pogacar and Remco going at it from such a distance. He was never distanced and never looked in trouble in that larger group, then won the sprint.

For him to have had any chance today it would've had to have been a much softer race – unlike in Flanders/Roubaix, the result here wasn't really within his control.

 

[jono]

outsprinting Matthews today is an improvement over the last couple of attempts.

Winning field sprints for minor placings is Matthews' raison d'etre. He won't take kindly to Wout intruding on his turf.

 

[Medvind]

I think that today was on par with Ronde. The race was way harder than the edition he won, and not even peak 2022 Van Aert would've been able to cope with Pogacar and Remco going at it from such a distance. He was never distanced and never looked in trouble in that larger group, then won the sprint.

For him to have had any chance today it would've had to have been a much softer race – unlike in Flanders/Roubaix, the result here wasn't really within his control.

If he had managed to latch on to Remco's wheel the 2nd time Remo attacked I think Remco and Skjelmose would have cooperated with Wout at least until they were certain they would catch Pog. And he would have probably managed the pace on the climbs, really no hard accelerations.

But sure, many things must have gone his way for him to win, he is not in a position to win by his own strenght in the big races anymore.

 

[ice&fire]

Van Aert must be a bit furious with himself that he did latch on to Remco's wheel when he attacked. If he had managed to do that, then... hell he might have won!

Recent evidence shows that he will just finish one place behind Remco no matter what.

 

[Sciatic]

Van Aert must be a bit furious with himself that he did latch on to Remco's wheel when he attacked. If he had managed to do that, then... hell he might have won!

No matter the size of the group today, Van Aert wasn't ever keeping himself right at the front to be able to respond to attacks. At least from the 50 km mark he seemed content (or had only enough in tank) to stay toward the back of the group and not exert any extra effort than necessary. I'm sure he's still feeling the effects of PR as well.

 

[Brullnux]

But sure, many things must have gone his way for him to win, he is not in a position to win by his own strenght in the big races anymore.

I agree, but I don't think he'd have ever been able to win such a race. Maybe he would've been able to react to Evenepoel, but this was a very 'hilly' Amstel gold, and the riders who won are all genuine hilly riders/climbers, rather than hard men.

 

[Red Rick]

I agree, but I don't think he'd have ever been able to win such a race. Maybe he would've been able to react to Evenepoel, but this was a very 'hilly' Amstel gold, and the riders who won are all genuine hilly riders/climbers, rather than hard men.

Think there's a non 0 chance if he joins the Evenepoel move and doesn't burn himself pulling too hard again. It's not like he got hard dropped on the hills.

 

[Peyroteo94]

I took a quick look and his schedule looks atrocious. So he is planning to do Giro-Tour after a hard block of racing?

 

[Berniece]

I took a quick look and his schedule looks atrocious. So he is planning to do Giro-Tour after a hard block of racing?

Yes, and TDF might be the end of the season. They don't know yet.

 

[Red Rick]

Yes, and TDF might be the end of the season. They don't know yet.

Giro shouldn't be too hard if he just picks stages to go for, takes it easy in the grupetto and doesn't too much domestique work. Visma won't have to carry the race, Yates is unlikely to take the jersey at any point, so maybe he just has to do some positioning for Yates on stages Van Aert isn't going for it.

 

[KOM]

I think that today was on par with Ronde. The race was way harder than the edition he won, and not even peak 2022 Van Aert would've been able to cope with Pogacar and Remco going at it from such a distance. He was never distanced and never looked in trouble in that larger group, then won the sprint.

For him to have had any chance today it would've had to have been a much softer race – unlike in Flanders/Roubaix, the result here wasn't really within his control.

Peak van Aert was TdF 2022, stage 4. That version does not get dropped

 

[Davesta]

I took a quick look and his schedule looks atrocious. So he is planning to do Giro-Tour after a hard block of racing?

Has he really had that hard a block of racing? He’s done, what, six races since the start of March…they’ve been hard races for sure, but that shouldn’t have fatigued him that much…

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

I think that today was on par with Ronde. The race was way harder than the edition he won, and not even peak 2022 Van Aert would've been able to cope with Pogacar and Remco going at it from such a distance. He was never distanced and never looked in trouble in that larger group, then won the sprint.

For him to have had any chance today it would've had to have been a much softer race – unlike in Flanders/Roubaix, the result here wasn't really within his control.

This is just hater bs.