Teams & Riders Official Wout Van Aert thread

[spalco]

This was just beautiful. I'm not generally the biggest fan of Van Aert and maybe I'm being cheesy, but for me this stage reminded me why I watch so many hours of his sport. 4 1/2 hours absolutely literally nothing happens, and then the race leader takes off like a rocket. I love it.

It's not always about the grand strategy, moments like this is why I watch heli-footage of french, italian, spanish landscapes half the time of the day for weeks.

More please!

 

[Netserk]

Yes, lets tell the best rider in the world to wait for Roglic and deny him a stage win in the Maillot Jaune. Im sure that will pan out great for you when you want to renew with him.

I'd just ignore Roglic tomorrow at this point if I was Wout tbh. *** it, just go for it tomorrow again and let the other guys help, Hoydonck, Benoot and Laporte are some of the worlds best at this terrain anyways.

Huh? He has just won while in yellow, so how can that be denied him?

 

[Valv.Piti]

Huh? He has just won while in yellow, so how can that be denied him?

Im talking about today's stage obviously as people wanted Wout to wait for his two 'captains'.

 

[Netserk]

Im talking about today's stage obviously as people wanted Wout to wait for his two 'captains'.

Obviously, as you responded to a post about tomorrow.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Whatever, the reason this guy wrote that comment was in reference to today's stage. SO TO CLARIFY: First paragraph was about today's stage. Second paragraph about tomorrow's

 

[AlfaLum]

Im starting to agree. In this shape, maybe the best option is to keep Wout as high in GC as possible…

 

[Valv.Piti]

Im starting to agree. In this shape, maybe the best option is to keep Wout as high in GC as possible…

Nah, Wout will lose an hour in the Alps probably. No need if you potentially can win 10-12 stages throughout a race and win green without trying. This is peak Sagan on steorids, thats what we are talking about, and thats what many posters want to devote 100% to Vingegaard and Roglic.

Ludicrous!

 

[markene2]

Whatever, the reason this guy wrote that comment was in reference to today's stage. SO TO CLARIFY: First paragraph was about today's stage. Second paragraph about tomorrow's

I was not sarcastic with my comment. If he just says sayonara tomorrow and gains 2-3 minutes i dont see any reason why he is not given a free role in the mountains.

 

[Red Rick]

Im starting to agree. In this shape, maybe the best option is to keep Wout as high in GC as possible…

Yes. Until they hit a real climb, the peloton goes for it and he drops 30 minutes.

Anyway. Confirmed day #1 of Van Aert not following team orders

 

[johnymax]

Phenomenal today! He reminded me of peak Pozzato.

 

[markene2]

Phenomenal today! He reminded me of peak Pozzato.

Pozzato had the most elegant style on the bike.

 

[johnymax]

Pozzato had the most elegant style on the bike.

Yeah, maybe Wout isn't as elegant, but just as strong IMO.

 

[Valv.Piti]

I was not sarcastic with my comment. If he just says sayonara tomorrow and gains 2-3 minutes i dont see any reason why he is not given a free role in the mountains.

I think his high mountain climbing is overrated. No way thats the plan. Maybe he can finish in the top-10 if he really, really tries, but whats the point? Stage wins are so much more important, and you gotta strike while the iron is hot as a red-hot Pantani once stated in 1998 (or 1999?). He got denied a few wins so far for various reason, but a rider like him should not go for GC and should not help Roglic and Vingegaard on every stage. They have plenty of people to do that.

If Roglic is Ronaldo and Vingegaard Adriano, Van Aert is Ronaldinho. Then you have 5 left to support the two strikers tomorrow, while you have the number 10 doing his magic in a free role in the maillot jaune. That would be my formation tomorrow.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Phenomenal today! He reminded me of peak Pozzato.

Yes he is a Belgian pozzato most of the time. Loses the cobbles monuments and world championships because he won't attack and races with no courage , doesn't like pressure.

Only won 1 monument, Sanremo, just as pozzato, and semi classics like e3

More concerned with fashion bikes and bright colours than winning wolrd championships

But when he actually tries not to be a Belgian Pozzato he wins. Strade Bianche 2020, Omloop 2022, this Tour stage today. Strange that he rides so defensive most of the year, because when he attacks he wins big races like these. And he is so strong

He probably was reading my posts here on this forum whilst bored at altitude training

 

[Red Rick]

So he looked behind on top of the climb. Saw he had a small gap on Vingegaard. Pogacar was not even in sight.

And he thought "Bye Jonas cya"

 

[Valv.Piti]

The Belgian Pozzato, who is better than Pozzato in vertually every aspect in cycling and has 7 Tour stage wins in all kinds of terrain at the age of 27 without being a pure sprinter or climber? Okay then.

 

[Rackham]

So he looked behind on top of the climb. Saw he had a small gap on Vingegaard. Pogacar was not even in sight.

And he thought "Bye Jonas cya"

Yep. Have Yates along for the ride as well & Ineos wouldn't pull behind. Vinge & WvA would then do equal work in the final 10km & it's not like Yates would beat WvA in the sprint, so IMO the cold hard truth is that was a missed GC opportunity for Vingegaard.

The poor guy busted his guts following the attack & got zero reward.

 

[Red Rick]

Yep. Have Yates along for the ride as well & Ineos wouldn't pull behind. Vinge & WvA would then do equal work in the final 10km & it's not like Yates would beat WvA in the sprint, so IMO the cold hard truth is that was a missed GC opportunity for Vingegaard.

The poor guy busted his guts following the attack & got zero reward.

I'll be pretty damned if the first 7 or so over the top didn't have 3 Jumbos and 3 Ineos in it.

 

[Extinction]

Wout doesn't seem like a team player when he feels he has the right to win.

 

[red_flanders]

Wout doesn't seem like a team player when he feels he has the right to win.

This assumes the team goals don't include Wout's goals. I think an assumption worth questioning based on what we've seen about how they talk about team goals.

 

[houtdffan]

Selfish Van Aert dropped Jonas today?

Donkey needs to understand HE IS A DONKEY. He cannot win the tour

Today was a day to stick it to Pogacar, and again SVA does not play the team game

 

[Red Rick]

This assumes the team goals don't include Wout's goals. I think an assumption worth questioning based on what we've seen about how they talk about team goals.

I believe they said they wanted to take time today, but now they're full PR mode.

 

[Extinction]

This assumes the team goals don't include Wout's goals. I think an assumption worth questioning based on what we've seen about how they talk about team goals.

Yes, but should Wout's goals for stage wins be at the expense of the team goal of winning the Tour? I think not, but evidently Jumbo feels it has the power to achieve both (which I think is incredibly presumptious) or it has given too much leash to van Aert.

 

[Extinction]

Selfish Van Aert dropped Jonas today?

Donkey needs to understand HE IS A DONKEY. He cannot win the tour

Today was a day to stick it to Pogacar, and again SVA does not play the team game

They did not stick it to Pogacar, but Wout to Vingegaard and Roglic in the final analyis.

 

[spalco]

Wout doesn't seem like a team player when he feels he has the right to win.

As he should, especially wearing yellow! Yeah he won't carry the jersey to paris and that's the big prize all teams covet, yadda yadda. But he's not some middle of the pack donkey, there's maybe 5 guys in the last decade who could have pulled off a win like that.

What he did today imo more deeply respects the race than giving the jersey to some decoy, riding tempo as a team for 2 weeks with zero interest in stages except 1km sprints on the mtf and taking yellow at the last moment.

Van aert is what cycling should be.