Let's not get carried away dear Belgian friends. WVA is a cyclo-cross legend and an absolute beast. But on the moment he has a road palmare worse than Pippo Pozzato or Alessandro Ballan.
How did you reach that conclusion?
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Let's not get carried away dear Belgian friends. WVA is a cyclo-cross legend and an absolute beast. But on the moment he has a road palmare worse than Pippo Pozzato or Alessandro Ballan.
-pozzato actually won tirreno adriaticoHow did you reach that conclusion?
-pozzato actually won tirreno adriatico
-ballan managed to win Ronde and worlds
But l wonder if Wouter can win the worlds this winter and get a better cx record than zdenenk stybar. He is certainly better but has the unfortunate circumstances of being born at the same winter as vanderpoel
Pozzato won e3 tirreno and a giro stage, and he was more cool than van aert. He also won Italian championship which is probably harder than Belgian championship because Italy has more people.Pozzato at the end of his career isn't where van Aert is now, who cares if he won Tirreno?
Ballan won worlds, but his Ronde would just equal van Aert's MSR. And he doesn't have any Tour stages, while van Aert has six, he doesn't have an Olympic medal, van Aert also has G-W, Strade, Amstel. Van Aert also has a second place in both worlds (three times) and Flanders, is national champion...
Unless you think a world title is worth more than practically everything, you can't argue that van Aert's palmares is worse. If however you do you must be a true fan of my avatar man.
Pozzato at the end of his career isn't where van Aert is now, who cares if he won Tirreno?
Ballan won worlds, but his Ronde would just equal van Aert's MSR. And he doesn't have any Tour stages, while van Aert has six, he doesn't have an Olympic medal, van Aert also has G-W, Strade, Amstel. Van Aert also has a second place in both worlds (three times) and Flanders, is national champion...
Unless you think a world title is worth more than practically everything, you can't argue that van Aert's palmares is worse. If however you do you must be a true fan of my avatar man.
He has a clearly better palmares than Pippo (always a style over substance guy), but Ballan isn't that far behind, if we're talking road cycling only. WC and RVV, another podium in the RVV and overall 4 top results, 3 podiums in Paris-Roubaix, gc in the Tour of Poland and De Panne and two 2nd places in Strade Bianche and he won Hamburg once.Pozzato at the end of his career isn't where van Aert is now, who cares if he won Tirreno?
Ballan won worlds, but his Ronde would just equal van Aert's MSR. And he doesn't have any Tour stages, while van Aert has six, he doesn't have an Olympic medal, van Aert also has G-W, Strade, Amstel. Van Aert also has a second place in both worlds (three times) and Flanders, is national champion...
Unless you think a world title is worth more than practically everything, you can't argue that van Aert's palmares is worse. If however you do you must be a true fan of my avatar man.
Masnada almost won Lombardia the toughest 1 day race against Pogacar and beat roglic, Yates, valverde, all the favourites. Meanwhile remco dropped at 50km. Shows who is strongest. And remco is a good talent , strong guy. But fausto is the guy yto focus on at the moment.Please don't feed the troll. He enjoys it to much.
For some reason he has it out for Belgian riders and blindly adores his Italians riders eventhough those riders are either fin de carrière (Nibs), underdogs (Pozato/Balan) or second tier riders at best (some weird guy named fausto Masnada that is domestique for Evenepoel).
Edit: OH NO HE DIDN'T
If you are talking about cyclo-cross, yes. Wout van aert is insanely strong on cyclo-cross, and a very strong world class road racer. But he didn't yet achieve his potential.Even Pozzato and Ballan combined aren't the better of Wout. And I'm not trolling.
Palmares-wise, that's true. I also regard Boonen as a bigger legend.My point was that wout van aert for the moment doesn't have the palmares in road racing that fans seem to think he does. Like he is some Tom boonen level rider. When he won only Sanremo as a monument, no grand tours, a few major classics and no international championships.
Please don't feed the troll. He enjoys it to much.
For some reason he has it out for Belgian riders and blindly adores his Italians riders eventhough those riders are either fin de carrière (Nibs), underdogs (Pozato/Balan) or second tier riders at best (some weird guy named fausto Masnada that is domestique for Evenepoel).
Edit: OH NO HE DIDN'T
I'm sorry if I responsible for this, I don't mean to be, everything said here is in good nature and I enjoy discussing the sport. I guess I just have different opinions but I wasn't aggressive at any point. Let me know if I cross the lines.Yeah, I don't know... I find this forum often really annoying in the past months and I realize that my tone gets more aggressive in respondance. I like to close my text window and come to the forum to get my mind free for a few minutes, but sometimes I don't know why I'm doing this anymore.
Van Aert almost won Ronde v Vlaanderen. He almost won Tirreno Adriatico against Pogacar, Landa, Bernal, all the favourites. He almost became world champion cyclocross 7 times. He almost became world champion ITT twice, against Ganna. He almost became olympic champion. On top of all the things he did actually win.Masnada almost won Lombardia the toughest 1 day race against Pogacar and beat roglic, Yates, valverde, all the favourites. Meanwhile remco dropped at 50km. Shows who is strongest. And remco is a good talent , strong guy. But fausto is the guy yto focus on at the moment.
You regard Boonen a bigger legend than who? Van Aert?! Are you joking? Is there really a question about that?!Palmares-wise, that's true. I also regard Boonen as a bigger legend.
However, the versatility of Van Aert's exploits stands out much more than anything Ballan or Pozzato ever achieved. And if he's not already clearly above them when it comes to wins, there's no doubt he will be in a near future.
I think you are a little bit confused. I don't dispute anything you said in the post, apart from the last sentence.Van Aert almost won Ronde v Vlaanderen. He almost won Tirreno Adriatico against Pogacar, Landa, Bernal, all the favourites. He almost became world champion cyclocross 7 times. He almost became world champion ITT twice, against Ganna. He almost became olympic champion. On top of all the things he did actually win.
Remco almost became world champion ITT. He almost became Euro champion on the road. on top of all the things he did actually win.
Funny how your analysis changes depending on who it is you're talking about.![]()
I think the Belgian's ability (to mention nothing of cross, but just on the road) to win in the greatest venues a TT, mountain stage, a sprint (as in Champs-Elysees) and classics makes him decidedly superior to either Italian. Even if we are just looking at palmares. Then if we thow talent and altheltic ability into the equation, there really is no comparison.I just say that for the moment his palmares is slightly worse than ballan or pozzato.
I just say that for the moment his palmares is slightly worse than ballan or pozzato.
I would rather be world champion and so would most peopl. But yes its subjective.I think the Belgian's ability (to mention nothing of cross, but just on the road) to win in the greatest venues a TT, mountain stage, a sprint (as in Champs-Elysees) and classics makes him decidedly superior to either Italian. Even if we are just looking at palmares. Then if we thow talent and altheltic ability into the equation, there really is no comparison.
What do you think about Masnada?I have been following pro cycling since 1997. Tbh, there were only few riders about which I thought, „WTF?!“… I would say these were Pantani, Armstrong, Boonen, Rasmussen, later Sagan, and nowadays WVA, MVDP and Pogacar.
Pozzato and Ballan were big champions. Both were a bit underestimated. Pozzato was fast and even more stylish, whereas Ballan was fast, but looked fragile.
I would say Pogacar is Lance 2.0, and WVA and MVDP are Sagan 2.0.
I always thought Wout was a little bit weaker than Mathieu, but I think nowadays they are equally strong. These two look and ride so powerfully, race the whole year, perform in every race they start, and perform on every terrain. I wasn‘t born when Merckx raced, but in these 25 years I mentioned, WVA and MVDP and Pogacar have been the most impressive riders, IMHO.
What do you think about Masnada?
I have been following pro cycling since 1997. Tbh, there were only few riders about which I thought, „WTF?!“… I would say these were Pantani, Armstrong, Boonen, Rasmussen, later Sagan, and nowadays WVA, MVDP and Pogacar.
Pozzato and Ballan were big champions. Both were a bit underestimated. Pozzato was fast and even more stylish, whereas Ballan was fast, but looked fragile.
I would say Pogacar is Lance 2.0, and WVA and MVDP are Sagan 2.0.
I always thought Wout was a little bit weaker than Mathieu, but I think nowadays they are equally strong. These two look and ride so powerfully, race the whole year, perform in every race they start, and perform on every terrain. I wasn‘t born when Merckx raced, but in these 25 years I mentioned, WVA and MVDP and Pogacar have been the most impressive riders, IMHO.
Yet it is Alaphilippe has won two (road) world championships in this "WTF?!" era.
Sometimes timing, talent and luck don't always cooperate; sometimes the stars align in fortuitous ways (as with Ballan much less so with Pozzato who should have had a Flanders and Roubaix under his belt). Wout, however, is on a different sphere than the Italians. He can win where they won, whether or not he actually wins Flanders or the Worlds, and he can win where they could never have won.I would rather be world champion and so would most peopl. But yes its subjective.
He can win where they won, whether or not he actually wins Flanders or the Worlds, and he can win where they could never have won.