Teams & Riders Official Wout Van Aert thread

[YavorD]

While not wrong. WVA talent is undeniable and remarkable if were being real, but you also have to put it into context, Wva is up against the best cyclist that has ever lived, put him in the Sagan era or any other and he would dominate more and be even more appriciated as he would have won more monuments (can you imagine him vs Kristoff, Terpstra and Sagan for instance.)

Pogacar himself never stopped WVA from winning a monument (or even any other big race for that matter). Even in RvV 2023 MVDP would likely be the winner.
You don't really need to make everything all about Pogacar when it's mostly Van der Poel stopping Van Aert in the big races.

Unless, of course, you mean that MVDP is the best cyclist in the world (which I doubt).

 

[Berniece]

How can you perform when you are missing key races to do a pointless altitude camp.

Like I said, better performance, not better results. With performance I mean getting the most out of his body.

 

[James M]

Pogacar himself never stopped WVA from winning a monument (or even any other big race for that matter). Even in RvV 2023 MVDP would likely be the winner.
You don't really need to make everything all about Pogacar when it's mostly Van der Poel stopping Van Aert in the big races.

Unless, of course, you mean that MVDP is the best cyclist in the world (which I doubt).

noone is making it about Pogacar then im making it about MvdP in same post? How sensitive are you?

We was talking about this RVV and who he was up against so what are you on about, you dont think that matters for context if he dont win vs if he was about to face Kristoff or Terpstra in their era and prime? Ofc its relevant, and he gonne race em both this RVV so it matters and for context full picture it matters when people are trying to put Wout down on the merrit alone he hasnt won many monuments, as you say he mostly been up vs MvdP which are one of the best one day racers weve seen historically at least in recent times, - put him vs Terpstra and Kristoff in their era and prime and he would dominate much more and be even more appriciated.

It matters for context and big picture when ppl put him down for his monuments wins alone as its not that easy in itself and that Wout is special more so than his records in monuments necessarily says alone - nothing else.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Every year these matter the most.

<George Hincapie entered the chat>

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

This i agree on 100% with I was about to say he should! Just fxxx it and do bare minimum and honestly I would be surprised if that is not the case now, up against the person he is its understandable even for his status!
Just try to hold on for dear life, do zero job, wheelsuck and play the sprint card and that he has the best sprint, the history will forgive, they already signaled their cynical about it with MSR.

This approach im honestly expecting to some degree for him now, and he should. As I said something has to give

When he doesn't wait for Mathieu to start the sprint. His MO too often is to let Mathieu get a jump and then fail to come around. He needs to dare to start the sprint, because that works best for him.

 

[YavorD]

noone is making it about Pogacar then im making it about MvdP in same post? How sensitive are you?

We was talking about this RVV and who he was up against so what are you on about, you dont think that matters for context if he dont win vs if he was about to face Kristoff or Terpstra in their era and prime? Ofc its relevant, and he gonne race em both this RVV so it matters and for context full picture it matters when people are trying to put Wout down on the merrit alone he hasnt won many monuments, as you say he mostly been up vs MvdP which are one of the best one day racers weve seen historically at least in recent times, - put him vs Terpstra and Kristoff in their era and prime and he would dominate much more.

It matters for context and big picture when ppl put him down for his monuments wins alone as its not that easy in itself and that Wout is special more so than his records in monuments necessarily says alone - nothing else.

Point being, you claimed that he's not winning big races because he's against "the best cyclist that has ever lived" which, unless you mean MVDP, is wrong. Just going by results, without Pogacar WVA would win the great GP Montreal.
Without VDP he'd have a RvV victory, WC and quite likely Paris-Roubaix .

And I'm not sensitive, I'm extremely critical to WVA but you tried to explain WVA's misfortune with Pogacar when even without Pogacar he would still have only 1 monument and no WCs.

 

[James M]

Point being, you claimed that he's not winning big races because he's against "the best cyclist that has ever lived" which, unless you mean MVDP, is wrong. Just going by results, without Pogacar WVA would win the great GP Montreal.
Without VDP he'd have a RvV victory, WC and quite likely Paris-Roubaix .

And I'm not sensitive, I'm extremely critical to WVA but you tried to explain WVA's misfortune with Pogacar when even without Pogacar he would still have only 1 monument and no WCs.

I never claimed that, again we was talking about this RVV coming up more so than anything else, at least it wasnt meant as the way you took it but thats fine. MvdP obv the guy he faced the most never said anything else, goes without saying and obv he is already legendary so same applies with him as I mentioned too, but that part was about this RVV coming up and that it simply matters as context to Wout's defense vs if he was about to face Terpstra in his prime, thats relevant, not deeper than that - or was meant as anything else. Im critical too I think thats the best and only way. Go Wout

 

[James M]

When he doesn't wait for Mathieu to start the sprint. His MO too often is to let Mathieu get a jump and then fail to come around. He needs to dare to start the sprint, because that works best for him.

I agree I think its very clear and obvious that Wout is better and have the edge in high speed sprints, MvdP deliberately tries to slow the speed as much down as possible before launch and start sprint at low speed for a reason, then its more even maybe even MvdP has the edge I dont know, maybe coinflip? And even more clear when its more than 2 man in the sprints as they usually tend to open earlier then but I dont think Wout does that mistake again if it should in a scenario be a 2 man sprint.

Anyway I clearly agree but its irrelevant as he has to be able to follow MvdP to sprint and as me and the other gent was saying he should just play that sprint card and do less work than he usually tends to do, its no shame in that.
MvdP likes it as hard as possible, theres no need to help him doing that, theres no shame in playing into your strenght.

For him hopefully he has learned from that and I believe he has and he wont do as much work this time around, at least thats what I expect now.

 

[Berniece]

I agree I think its very clear and obvious that Wout is better and have the edge in high speed sprints, MvdP deliberately tries to slow the speed as much down as possible before launch and start sprint at low speed for a reason, then its more even maybe even MvdP has the edge I dont know, maybe coinflip? And even more clear when its more than 2 man in the sprints as they usually tend to open earlier then but I dont think WVa does that mistake again if it should in a scenario be a 2 man sprint.

Anyway I clearly agree but its irrelevant as he has to be able to follow MvdP to sprint and as me and the other gent was saying he should just play that sprint card and do less work than he usually tends to do, its no shame in that.
MvdP likes it as hard as possible, theres no need to help him doing that, theres no shame in playing into your strenght.

For him hopefully he has learned from that and I believe he has and he wont do as much work this time around, at least thats what I expect now.

He already learned from his sprinting mistakes, E3 Harelbeke 2023 showed that

 

[saunaking]

Wout has fallen so far he's being compared to Terpstra?
Poor guy, half the peloton can do more watts than Terpstra

 

[Keldergoat]

Yet Terpstra won the two races WvA is most eager to win. Always freaking loved his cunning way of riding, quite an underrated rider if you ask me.