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he's just a beast. for some reason, when he was always being compared - usually not favorably - to vanderpoel, i developed a soft spot for him. I guess I like the quote-unquote underdogs of the elites. it's fun to watch him ascend to the absolute pinnacle. he could retire right now and his palmares would be the envy of most professional riders, and it's his second year on the WT....so wild
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Yeah, i've been saying for ages people should stop comparing him to Mathieu. In CX, Mathieu simply has the superior skill set. Lighter, more maneuverable, more technically gifted, more punchy...which is why he was able to dominate Wout so often. But on the road, it quickly becomes clear they're two different animals. And i'm super happy he's carved his own path, and quite successfully as well. I still remember when he was disqualified pre-race for something, can't remember what it was, he was
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That's an awesome story. I'd never heard that. Love the spirit
It was the National Championship for Espoirs CX 2014 so he just turned 19. Apparently it was the first year they introduced a new setup with lights signalling when to start, much like in Formula One. And there was a delay, it took too long before the lights went green, and a rider next to him initially made a move, and Wout was triggered by that, and they said he caused the false start. So he got DQ'd and couldn't start. He pleaded with the jury that the lights didn't work correctly and that it was unfair. He proposed to start all the way at the back, but they wouldn't let him.
Here is some footage (second part of the video), and you can see him sneak onto the course when the others have gone:
If you don't understand why people compare the two I don't know what to tell you...
I also don't know two riders it would be reasonable to compare if not those two.
Haha that's great, but I wouldn't call it sneaking.
If there's one thing that's comparable to CX, it's the ability to keep a high tempo. WvA was better at that, especially on hard courses, than MvdP. And he took that with him to the road. It's exactly the same.
And MvdP took one ability to the road that he had in CX as well, it's doing insane 2/3 min intervals at a higher rate than WvA can. This translate to a certain type of road courses as well.
In the end it means WvA is more likely to win a tough classic like LBL or perhaps even Lombardia in the future. While MvdP is probably more suited to short interval type of races like RVV and many, many world championship races... as a lap of 10km with 1 or 2 short hills are perfect.. (until they are too long, then it's perfect for WvA again). This is my take on it.
And MvdP took one ability to the road that he had in CX as well, it's doing insane 2/3 min intervals at a higher rate than WvA can. This translate to a certain type of road courses as well.
In the end it means WvA is more likely to win a tough classic like LBL or perhaps even Lombardia in the future. While MvdP is probably more suited to short interval type of races like RVV and many, many world championship races... as a lap of 10km with 1 or 2 short hills are perfect.. (until they are too long, then it's perfect for WvA again). This is my take on it.
I know why. That doesn't mean they are comparable, it's just easy and lazy. If you don't know any riders more alike (as in reasonable to compare) than them, then probably you don't know them that well?
I just don't get this policeman behaviour. Why are you the authority on whom we can compare?
Ultimately, it will be the same races they will dominate, though Mathieu seems to have a smaller range.
Ultimately, it will be the same races they will dominate, though Mathieu seems to have a smaller range.
You can compare who you want obviously. If you want to compare Boonen to Cancellara that's fine, as long as you don't make absolute statements based on incomplete info and it doesn't mean they are alike and can be compared 1:1. Like Boonen had more wins, so he was better. Or Cancellara was a better ITT'er so he was stronger. I think my posts are quite clear and the issue i have is that most comparisons start from people making assumptions based on CX where Mathieu came out on top 8 times out of 10. That's the only thing that has been bothering me, people making assumptions based on a very specific discipline which can not be extrapolated to road racing that easily. The point is that one is not the better version of the other, simply because both started out in CX.
They are as different as Boonen and Cancellara, or Sagan and Alaphilippe, Evenepoel and Pogacar.
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Agree. It's lazy and predictable - and it's pretty tiresome. Yes, they both come from CX and are seen as somewhat similar. But I'm not convinced they are. They now have different ambitions.
Wout is now a full time road rider on a WT team; he's showing potential signs of being like a certain Swiss classics & ITT legend.
Mathieu is not on a WT team, and isn't a full time road rider; he's doing something nobody else is trying; combining CX, MTB & Road and succeeding in them; so there isn't really anybody who you can compare him to.
WvA should try win both the green and the polka dot at some point in the future. Not necessarily in the same year ofc.
You could compare him to some of the female riders who've kicked butt in three disciplines!
Honestly, a few kilos shed, and this guy can compete in a Grand Tour. Those dreaming that Cancellara would be able to do it were just dreaming but this guy is something else. My God. And he just gets stronger and stronger throughout.
He definitely is not the next Zdenek Stybar
I'm wondering if he could even have competed this year to be honest. Perhaps not for the win, but I don't think he would be far off Porte, Landa, Mas, Uran and Yates.
He could definitely have won both green and dots if that had been his goal.
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Funny, I was thinking the same thing when I read another post by someone who said that he could win both polka dots and green but not in the same year. I think he could have.
At the same time
View: https://twitter.com/BraeckmanAnn/status/1306649251779403788/photo/1
Probably that's how he came back after being dropped on Fleuries
View: https://twitter.com/BraeckmanAnn/status/1306649251779403788/photo/1
Probably that's how he came back after being dropped on Fleuries
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