Teams & Riders Official Wout Van Aert thread

[Krzysztof_O]

He never was, apart from the role of TdF domestique.

I mean that both Vans were close in those cobbled races a few years ago (not anymore) plus obviously's Wout great performances in various kind of races. It seems he doesn't have it anymore.

 

[Red Rick]

I mean that both Vans were close in those cobbled races a few years ago (not anymore) plus obviously's Wout great performances in various kind of races. It seems he doesn't have it anymore.

2020 was the only time they finished same group in RVV.

But my point absolutely stands that most of Van Aerts reputation is based on the TdF, and not based on monument performance for a very long time.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

2020 was the only time they finished same group in RVV.

But my point absolutely stands that most of Van Aerts reputation is based on the TdF, and not based on monument performance for a very long time.

Wout beat MVP (and Pogacar) here a couple of years ago (and also won a year before). He's in completely different territory now.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Van Aert is a Belgian Pozzato. Win Sanremo and some semi classics, primadonna, race defensively, not use his attack. Will never be world champion like Ballan

People used to want me banned for saying this

 

[Rackham]

The 'problem' is Visma beating a dead horse by continually acting like he's a monument contender for Flanders and Roubaix, i.e. literally sending him to altitude training especially for these spring classics.

He'd be better off going to Paris-Nice, Catalunya and then heading to the Tour de France. He can do what he does best: help his GC leader and target specific stages.

 

[Red Rick]

The 'problem' is Visma beating a dead horse by continually acting like he's a monument contender for Flanders and Roubaix, i.e. literally sending him to altitude training especially for these spring classics.

He'd be better off going to Paris-Nice, Catalunya and then heading to the Tour de France. He can do what he does best: help his GC leader and target specific stages.

Lol.

He should target the cobbles.

But skipping Sanremo is absolutely braindead.

 

[RJH]

Which rank today in Harelbeke for Wout?…

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Which rank today in Harelbeke for Wout?…

15, coincidentally also the number of winless monument participations he has

 

[Kwaremonster]

It's strange. I'm not so worried about the physical decline because I don't believe that he got so bad in over a year, but the mental struggle is real I believe. I hope he proves us all wrong and gets the win in Paris Roubaix, that's the only way to deal with his demons I think. No way I see him achieve anything in the Tour of Flanders.

 

[Rackham]

Lol.

He should target the cobbles.

But skipping Sanremo is absolutely braindead.

I think what I'm getting at is the discourse around this rider is based on something that's lost in translation.

When he dominates his job in the TdF (does really good work for his GC leader and wins some stages), for some reason there's a whole bunch of people who see that and interpret it as 'oh yeah, let's now win Flanders + Roubaix or bust'

I mean unless his Vuelta crash has somehow crippled him and made him 'lesser', he was still totally smashing the points classification and winning stages before his DNF. That's what he's good at. But then Visma and the whole Belgian world once again start obsessing over the spring campaign - again.

I don't know man but Wout van Aert is a formidable bike rider in his own right when doing what he does best. Fighting VdP is not what he does best. And when Wout van Aert is riding on the front in the Tour doing pulls for Vingegaard or winning stages, VdP will be riding gruppetto.

So, each to their own, right? VdP is a different type of rider.

 

[Balthazar]

Lol.

He should target the cobbles.

But skipping Sanremo is absolutely braindead.

Yep. This altitude camp wil also turn out to be a big mistake as a lot of people have predicted. He should have raced much more given his lack of confidence. Wout seemed to be struggling emotionally in the interview after the race. Body language of someone who's feeling defeated.

 

[jono]

I think what I'm getting at is the discourse around this rider is based on something that's lost in translation.

When he dominates his job in the TdF (does really good work for his GC leader and wins some stages), for some reason there's a whole bunch of people who see that and interpret it as 'oh yeah, let's now win Flanders + Roubaix or bust'

I mean unless his Vuelta crash has somehow crippled him and made him 'lesser', he was still totally smashing the points classification and winning stages before his DNF. That's what he's good at. But then Visma and the whole Belgian world once again start obsessing over the spring campaign - again.

I don't know man but Wout van Aert is a formidable bike rider in his own right when doing what he does best. Fighting VdP is not what he does best. And when Wout van Aert is riding on the front in the Tour doing pulls for Vingegaard or winning stages, VdP will be riding gruppetto.

So, each to their own, right? VdP is a different type of rider.

I don't think you can place the blame entirely at the feet of Belgian fans and media for obsessing about the spring: Wout has frequently said those races are the most important of the entire calendar for him.

 

[meat puppet]

As I said in the E3 thread, devout christians have it easy, the holy week of suffering only lasts one week and there's salvation at the end of the tunnel.

Rooting for WvA during the classics season lasts way longer and ends in a Sunday in hell. The best one can hope for in the classics afterlife is that one you wise guys cracks a good joke about it

 

[Tim Cahill]

I have no idea where his legs are at and the group behind wasn't really shown. It's irrelevant, if he's sat in P80 all race he will be nowhere, fans should be hoping he was just saving himself here and will take more risks in the coming races.

 

[Red Rick]

I don't think you can place the blame entirely at the feet of Belgian fans and media for obsessing about the spring: Wout has frequently said those races are the most important of the entire calendar for him.

I honestly feel for Van Aert.

Not because he loses in the cobbled classics, that happens to everyone.

But I feel for van Aert because his entire country is people who are armchair experts in his psyche.

 

[kingjr]

I honestly feel for Van Aert.

Not because he loses in the cobbled classics, that happens to everyone.

But I feel for van Aert because his entire country is people who are armchair experts in his psyche.

Maybe the best thing that could happen to him would be Thibau Nys targeting the spring classics next year.

 

[Rackham]

I don't think you can place the blame entirely at the feet of Belgian fans and media for obsessing about the spring: Wout has frequently said those races are the most important of the entire calendar for him.

He gets cooked in the Worlds as well. I mean it's not just the spring campaign, is it? It's Leuven 2021 and all the rest.

I'm not in his head and I have no idea what Visma really think either. I just see with my own eyes and this rider is good at stuff and less good at other stuff.

Winning Roubaix is a pipe dream at this point.

 

[Netserk]

At least there has been no set-backs so far this year, so we'll see in Roubaix [knocks on wood] where his lvl is at. And then everyone should accept it for what it is.

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

I think what I'm getting at is the discourse around this rider is based on something that's lost in translation.

When he dominates his job in the TdF (does really good work for his GC leader and wins some stages), for some reason there's a whole bunch of people who see that and interpret it as 'oh yeah, let's now win Flanders + Roubaix or bust'

I mean unless his Vuelta crash has somehow crippled him and made him 'lesser', he was still totally smashing the points classification and winning stages before his DNF. That's what he's good at. But then Visma and the whole Belgian world once again start obsessing over the spring campaign - again.

I don't know man but Wout van Aert is a formidable bike rider in his own right when doing what he does best. Fighting VdP is not what he does best. And when Wout van Aert is riding on the front in the Tour doing pulls for Vingegaard or winning stages, VdP will be riding gruppetto.

So, each to their own, right? VdP is a different type of rider.

Unless my memory is jammed, when he came on the scene he was touted as a classics rider and Rabofail were more than happy to put all their eggs in the WVA basket. Even after his first exceptional performance in the TdF, the Monuments were still seen as a priority by the team and he remained sole leader.
Stupid decision by Rabofail to stroke his ego.
Weird to think he could retire without a cobbled Monument while Niki Terpstra is sitting at home with two on the mantelpiece (thanks to Quickstep employing a multi-pronged attack)

 

[Rackham]

Unless my memory is jammed, when he came on the scene he was touted as a classics rider and Rabofail were more than happy to put all their eggs in the WVA basket. Even after his first exceptional performance in the TdF, the Monuments were still seen as a priority by the team and he remained sole leader.
Stupid decision by Rabofail to stroke his ego.
Weird to think he could retire without a cobbled Monument while Niki Terpstra is sitting at home with two on the mantelpiece (thanks to Quickstep employing a multi-pronged attack)

Rog is still the last rider to win a monument for Visma.

Crazy... but true. I mean yeah, every year Visma (& formerly Jumbo) do a huge public relations campaign about the classics season being a priority.

And every year the outcome is the same. Why? Because they never had the best monument riders. And they often shot themselves in the foot by riding like they did (aka extremely passive tactics a lot of the time with the expectation WvA could go toe-to-toe with VdP and Pog in Flanders or VdP in Roubaix).

 

[ChasingPotatoes]

I think WvA isn't recovered (and maybe never will?) from his crashes last year. His knee looks like it's mauled by a bear.

He looks heavier and slower since.

But yes, WvA once was the best rider in the universe. Tokyo Olympics.

 

[Salvarani]

Rog is still the last rider to win a monument for Visma.

Crazy... but true. I mean yeah, every year Visma (& formerly Jumbo) do a huge public relations campaign about the classics season being a priority.

And every year the outcome is the same. Why? Because they never had the best monument riders. And they often shot themselves in the foot by riding like they did (aka extremely passive tactics a lot of the time with the expectation WvA could go toe-to-toe with VdP and Pog in Flanders or VdP in Roubaix).

They have dominated semi-classics though for a couple of seasons (not this season). Won a lot of those races. Then nowhere in the monuments.

It is pretty strange.

 

[Didinho]

He uploaded his ride. He found his legs on the Kwaremont. (3:10)

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Wout will be competitive in RVV no doubt. Still it will be really tough to match MVDP.

 

[theyoungest]

Rog is still the last rider to win a monument for Visma.

Crazy... but true. I mean yeah, every year Visma (& formerly Jumbo) do a huge public relations campaign about the classics season being a priority.

And every year the outcome is the same. Why? Because they never had the best monument riders. And they often shot themselves in the foot by riding like they did (aka extremely passive tactics a lot of the time with the expectation WvA could go toe-to-toe with VdP and Pog in Flanders or VdP in Roubaix).

You're acting like they're trying to cover up this fact. Quite the contrary actually, the reason you know it's their last Monument win is because they keep repeating it themselves, since a victory in a cobbled Monument is the only thing that still evades them. They've won pretty much every other race.

Roglic with his somewhat lucky LBL win was indeed the last (although about a month earlier WVA won Sanremo). You can't say they haven't been successful in the classics though, they were very dominant at times. Just not in the Monuments, which are more difficult to control and where they were up against Pogacar and Van der Poel, who are just better than any of their riders.

Wout will be competitive in RVV no doubt. Still it will be really tough to match MVDP.

Depends on what you call "competitive". He has to be at his very best to at least offer up some kind of challenge to MVDP, and clearly he's not at his very best. I've said it before, and it's pretty clear from today that Jorgenson is their only (sort of) shot at a podium in Flanders... with a lot of luck.