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Teams & Riders Official Wout Van Aert thread

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Do you really believe MVDP doesn't have a strong core? Believe me, you need a plenty strong core to race MTB's - much more so than road.
You can tell who has the strongest core when it comes to grinding it out in muddy CX races. Wout is your winner in those low cadence events. MvdP generates his explosive power by slinging the bike side to side while Wout can generate more power in the saddle...strong core.
 
or IF they face each other... and a rather big IF they are both in highest level
Good point. It was disappointing for some of us that in the prior decade we so rarely got rTo see Boonen and Cancellara head to head at the end of a cobbled classic; crashes early in races they both entered, or one of them being out because of a prior injury, so often denied us real showdowns between the two. And then Nickie Terpstra went and ruined it when a battle in the finale seemed about to happen. ;)
 
You can tell who has the strongest core when it comes to grinding it out in muddy CX races. Wout is your winner in those low cadence events. MvdP generates his explosive power by slinging the bike side to side while Wout can generate more power in the saddle...strong core.
Slinging the bike side to side? MVDP has regularly dropped WVA on the steepest climbs cobbled climbs in the Belgian classics - where you would literally lose traction and spin out if you attempted to stand up. Can you name even one time Wout has dropped MVDP in that situation? Has Wout ever finished ahead of MVDP at Flanders in three attempts? And in one of those races (2019) MVDP had to comeback from nowhere and still dropped Wout.
 
Slinging the bike side to side? MVDP has regularly dropped WVA on the steepest climbs cobbled climbs in the Belgian classics - where you would literally lose traction and spin out if you attempted to stand up. Can you name even one time Wout has dropped MVDP in that situation? Has Wout ever finished ahead of MVDP at Flanders in three attempts? And in one of those races (2019) MVDP had to comeback from nowhere and still dropped Wout.
Difficult to say. In a direct duel on a climb, I saw VDP once beat Van Aert on the cobblestones. On the "Oude Kwaremont" (Flanders 2021). A few km later, VDP was beaten by Asgreen at the finish...... Of course, VDP was better or ended before Van Aert in some races. As Van Aert did with VDP. I think, the difference is. Van Aert, even beaten by VDP or another rider, keeps going until the end to get a place of honor. Therefore it is visually very clear that he was defeated. But when VDP is released or defeated, he no longer insists and ends up in the bunch. For instance, Strade Bianche 2020, the Tourstage when VDP lost his yellow jersey, while Van Aert was defending his second place (or a possible yellow yersey) fighting to the finish, isolated, against Pogacar and a group of pursuers he just missed.
And, I'm pretty sure Van Aert, in form then, would have defeated VDP in the Tour of Brittain, in that fourth stage, on a terrible wallclimb. Where Van Aert has beaten Alaphilippe, Woods, Hayter, Dan Martin....
 
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2019 VDP was clearly better than 2019 Wout. Wout has made tremendous strides since then and now is at his peak. Hopefully Jumbo Vismo will not race him into the ground this year as they did in 2021 and we can see him at his best for Flanders and Paris Roubaix. Trying to win the week long stage races like Tirreno and Tour of Britain really weakened him for the big one day races last season.
 
All in good fun Logic. I'm just a recreational cyclist and a fan here in the USA where 99.9% of the population have no idea who the hell WVA or MVDP are. Love MVDP cause he races the MTB and I like his go for broke attitude and willingness to completely throw caution to the wind and explore his limits. The reality is you can't really be a WVA fan if you're an MVDP fan. We'll see how things go. Some of the numbers MVDP posted today suggest he is trending in the right direction. And, I don't really believe you (an obvious Wout fan) really wants to see MVDP back this spring. Just like you probably wished he wouldn't have made it back for PR this fall to drop Wout's ass on the Trouée d'Arenberg .
I completely disagree because I am a huge fan of both! I loved it when they were battling in CX, and love it even more now that they battle on the road too.
 
I can add Colbrelli to the mix then. And for a fast finishing outsider, Senechal. Or of the gods of cycling align Stybar, but these days that would take some alignment but one can always hope for a Terpstra-style victory for him.
I think I'm one of the few that's not really into Strade Bianchi. Scenery is nice though.
Stybar's heart condition last year signaled he's well past his peak years. Not everyone can be a Valverde.
 
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Difficult to say. In a direct duel on a climb, I saw VDP once beat Van Aert on the cobblestones. On the "Oude Kwaremont" (Flanders 2021). A few km later, VDP was beaten by Asgreen at the finish...... Of course, VDP was better or ended before Van Aert in some races. As Van Aert did with VDP. I think, the difference is. Van Aert, even beaten by VDP or another rider, keeps going until the end to get a place of honor. Therefore it is visually very clear that he was defeated. But when VDP is released or defeated, he no longer insists and ends up in the bunch. For instance, Strade Bianche 2020, the Tourstage when VDP lost his yellow jersey, while Van Aert was defending his second place (or a possible yellow yersey) fighting to the finish, isolated, against Pogacar and a group of pursuers he just missed.
And, I'm pretty sure Van Aert, in form then, would have defeated VDP in the Tour of Brittain, in that fourth stage, on a terrible wallclimb. Where Van Aert has beaten Alaphilippe, Woods, Hayter, Dan Martin....
Fair points. Although I would I maintain that on equal form MVDP is just flat out better than WVA in everything other than road TT's, road mountain stages and extremely heavy crosses. And the data clearly supports that. Bottom line is that when they line up on equal form in races where their talents intersect (say RVV and PR) MVDP is just flat out better. He beats Wout more often than not. He's more aggressive and has a killer mentality and arrogance that Wout doesn't possess at the same level.
 
I can add Colbrelli to the mix then. And for a fast finishing outsider, Senechal. Or of the gods of cycling align Stybar, but these days that would take some alignment but one can always hope for a Terpstra-style victory for him.
I think I'm one of the few that's not really into Strade Bianchi. Scenery is nice though.

Super racer, but a bit to much of a 'suiveur' for my taste although I supose it could make the final even more tense.
 
Slinging the bike side to side? MVDP has regularly dropped WVA on the steepest climbs cobbled climbs in the Belgian classics - where you would literally lose traction and spin out if you attempted to stand up. Can you name even one time Wout has dropped MVDP in that situation? Has Wout ever finished ahead of MVDP at Flanders in three attempts? And in one of those races (2019) MVDP had to comeback from nowhere and still dropped Wout.
MVDP himself even says his strongest point is acceleration from the saddle on cobbled climbs.

It's what makes him such a strong flanders / roubaix rider
 
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