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.
Fair pointoutsprinting Matthews today is an improvement over the last couple of attempts.
Next race should be the Giro.Does anyboby know if he will try LBL?
But after today, Pederson is somewhere saying "Maybe I shouldn't have pulled so much?"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.
Nah, Pedersen will be saying 'see, you can totally make it to a sprint with Pogacar!'.But after today, Pederson is somewhere saying "Maybe I shouldn't have pulled so much?"
Endurance: CheckVan 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!![]()
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.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.
Winning field sprints for minor placings is Matthews' raison d'etre. He won't take kindly to Wout intruding on his turf.outsprinting Matthews today is an improvement over the last couple of attempts.
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.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.
Recent evidence shows that he will just finish one place behind Remco no matter what.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.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!![]()
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.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.
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.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.
Yes, and TDF might be the end of the season. They don't know yet.I took a quick look and his schedule looks atrocious. So he is planning to do Giro-Tour after a hard block of racing?
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.Yes, and TDF might be the end of the season. They don't know yet.
Peak van Aert was TdF 2022, stage 4. That version does not get droppedI 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.
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…I took a quick look and his schedule looks atrocious. So he is planning to do Giro-Tour after a hard block of racing?
This is just hater bs.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.