Teams & Riders Official Wout Van Aert thread

[ChasingPotatoes]

He should ride Unbound.

To get second behind mvdp? 🙃

 

[Netserk]

Don't forget his crashes.

But I think they tried something new to close to gap for his first cobbled monument. But it looks strange indeed, not able to follow the first attacks but become better than most of the top 10 in the last hour. He came close a couple times the last years, so I wouldn't change anything. His explosiveness was one of his strenghts, now it looks like he lost that. Another year passed, but he still got some years to try.

In the races before Dwars, he looked so much better last year than this year with the same approach. So I think the knee and his winter played a role, and if anything that he'd have been able to fight for the top step last year if uninjured.

EDIT: And his head too, of course. With last year's confidence, he'd position himself better and make better decisions.

 

[Sciatic]

Loads of people picked Van Aert to win in the P-R thread.

Ha! That is not representative—some folks choose who they want to win, if we were putting down money the results would be very different. If I vote (not always) I just pick a wacky outsider or “Vino”

 

[Berniece]

It doesn't change anything. What Pogacar did between February and now to make this different? Or even WVA?

Well in February barely able to drop LVE, and then in March dropping almost everyone on the Cipressa, and in Flanders everyone again... So a lot changed.

 

[Didinho]

In the races before Dwars, he looked so much better last year than this year with the same approach. So I think the knee and his winter played a role, and if anything that he'd have been able to fight for the top step last year if uninjured.

Indeed a big difference. Also my thought.

He was always really good when he came back from a team camp. Now when it wasn’t right away they said he need 7-10 days to be at his best. But I never saw him dead in the last hour of a race he likely would’ve won before.

2 times 4th was the best he could do, still not bad. He’s gonna crush some Giro stages probably.

 

[Sciatic]

As you can see

Wow, you really had to teach for that one from how long ago?

 

[Netserk]

Well in February barely able to drop LVE, and then in March dropping almost everyone on the Cipressa, and in Flanders everyone again... So a lot changed.

I think the shape of Pogi shouldn't be a surprise, but back in February I thought Van Aert would be better than this.

 

[Sciatic]

It doesn't change anything. What Pogacar did between February and now to make this different? Or even WVA?

You’re in outer orbit now. Hope you make it back to earth safely.

 

[Berniece]

I think the shape of Pogi shouldn't be a surprise, but back in February I thought Van Aert would be better than this.

That too, but back in February I didn't feel Pogacar was in as good a shape as he was in Strade 2024 for example. I still think he was better in Strade 2024 compared to 2025. Not that it matters much.

 

[Lequack]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1911494848059781351

View: https://x.com/NBCSCycling/status/1911494848059781351

 

[Ripper]

It's like the dude is too well-balanced emotionally and too satisfied with this life. "Too" is relative here ... it is most likely better for him as a person, but he seems to be much less driven for a win compared to some of his peers.

 

[Red Rick]

It's like the dude is too well-balanced emotionally and too satisfied with this life. "Too" is relative here ... it is most likely better for him as a person, but he seems to be much less driven for a win compared to some of his peers.

I hate phrasing it like that.

I would sooner assume he doesn't win because he lacks 50 watts in zone 7 rather than "he isn't deranged enough"

 

[Ripper]

I hate phrasing it like that.

I would sooner assume he doesn't win because he lacks 50 watts in zone 7 rather than "he isn't deranged enough"

Fair enough

 

[Netserk]

I hate phrasing it like that.

I would sooner assume he doesn't win because he lacks 50 watts in zone 7 rather than "he isn't deranged enough"

I don't think Arenberg was about missing watts. Inexplicable what happened there. A small gap afterwards that could never get closed.

Had he been with Brennan (or Brennan with him) afterwards, he'd have had a much better race. Instead he kept chasing while they took turns putting on the pressure in front.

 

[DaLong]

It's like the dude is too well-balanced emotionally and too satisfied with this life. "Too" is relative here ... it is most likely better for him as a person, but he seems to be much less driven for a win compared to some of his peers.

I agree with this. It seems like since had his son he’s been more balanced and less crazy than MvdP and Pogi. Like I joke with my wife all the time how tough it’d be married to a guy like Mathieu who is a high strung elite athlete with having children likely no where near the forefront of his mind. Wout is likely a great dad and that means not riding your bike 60 hours a week.

 

[Red Rick]

I don't think Arenberg was about missing watts. Inexplicable what happened there. A small gap afterwards that could never get closed.

Had he been with Brennan (or Brennan with him) afterwards, he'd have had a much better race. Instead he kept chasing while they took turns putting on the pressure in front.

Rougher cobbles so maybe more dependent on brute strength? Maybe still not recovered from chasing back before Haveluy? I don't know.

I think getting 4th in the end is quite impressive considering where he was and considering the fact he did crash.

That said, I'm not too happy seeing his consistently poor positioning.

Pretty happy he's racing Amstel btw.

 

[Netserk]

Rougher cobbles so maybe more dependent on brute strength? Maybe still not recovered from chasing back before Haveluy? I don't know.

I think getting 4th in the end is quite impressive considering where he was and considering the fact he did crash.

That said, I'm not too happy seeing his consistently poor positioning.

Pretty happy he's racing Amstel btw.

At this point, I think it's because of fear and that he finds it too taxing mentally to fight for extended periods. When he needs to move up, he still has the skill to do so very quickly and smoothly. Giving up position once in Arenberg and getting gapped could also be caused by fear and mentally blocking. It's just very hard to say from a broadcast.

 

[Didinho]

At this point, I think it's because of fear and that he finds it too taxing mentally to fight for extended periods. When he needs to move up, he still has the skill to do so very quickly and smoothly. Giving up position once in Arenberg and getting gapped could also be caused by fear and mentally blocking. It's just very hard to say from a broadcast.

Watched Arenberg a couple times back. After he moves up behind Pogi, Mads took the left side and come shoulder to shoulder with Wout. He immediately stopped pedaling a couple seconds. The same when Mathieu came next to him. Even longer pause again and riders moving up around him.
Looks like some fear after the crashes, just trying to stay on the bike.

We don’t know because he always just says it’s bad legs at that moment. But I’ve never seen him just stop pedaling next to other riders, while sitting close upfront.

 

[Netserk]

Watched Arenberg a couple times back. After he moves up behind Pogi, Mads took the left side and come shoulder to shoulder with Wout. He immediately stopped pedaling a couple seconds. The same when Mathieu came next to him. Even longer pause again and riders moving up around him.
Looks like some fear after the crashes, just trying to stay on the bike.

We don’t know because he always just says it’s bad legs at that moment. But I’ve never seen him just stop pedaling next to other riders, while sitting close upfront.

And if that's the case, I can't even fault him for that after his past year. But if the legs are still fine at that point, he needs to be very honest internally so Brennan knows that while Van Aert may let go there, it's still worth it to totally sacrifice Brennan in order to bring Van Aert back to the front immediately.

 

[Valv.Piti]

There's always next year. Winning Flanders or Roubaix will feel so much better after all he has been through

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

There's always next year. Winning Flanders or Roubaix will feel so much better after all he has been through

I'm not sure. He seems to be evolving as a rider. After going for all those 2nd places, he has now developed the ability finish 4th (first off the podium). I think the next phase in his development will be going for those 11th spots.

 

[Kwaremonster]

At this point, I think it's because of fear and that he finds it too taxing mentally to fight for extended periods. When he needs to move up, he still has the skill to do so very quickly and smoothly. Giving up position once in Arenberg and getting gapped could also be caused by fear and mentally blocking. It's just very hard to say from a broadcast.

If this is the case, I wonder what it will take to overcome this. I'm sure there have been similar cases like this. Maybe alaphilippe. Did he overcome it?

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

Yeah it was really odd how he went with the attack and snapped on the wheel, only to drift back pretty quickly, letting others push past him.

 

[yaco]

Shaping up well for the Giro where I expect him to win a stage or two.

 

[Hugh Januss]

I agree with this. It seems like since had his son he’s been more balanced and less crazy than MvdP and Pogi. Like I joke with my wife all the time how tough it’d be married to a guy like Mathieu who is a high strung elite athlete with having children likely no where near the forefront of his mind. Wout is likely a great dad and that means not riding your bike 60 hours a week.

He still rides 60 hours a week he just now tends to back out of some "risky situations", which come quite often in these races. Is it because he has a family now or is it because of the number of big crashes he has had lately? As a Wout fan I am willing to give him a bit more time to recover mentally from the last couple of years. Look at his recent history, he crashes out of the classics season 2024, comes back to be a monster in the Vuelta until an even worse crash out. Look at his knee still! Is it still troubling him more than he's letting on? Did he hit it in his little crash today and may he have been babying it for a while after?