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theyoungest

Jan 11, 2010
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Bolder said:
I can't tell if Wout is stronger than ever or of MvdP has lost a bit. I think it might be the latter.
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It's starting to look like he has just raced too little the last few years, he hasn't built a proper base. And then the back starts to hurt a little sooner as well. You can tell from the physical difference with Van Aert, Wout is just a tank these days and Mathieu looks a little... I don't want to say fragile, but he definitely lacks something.
 
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Moose McKnuckles

Moose McKnuckles

Nov 7, 2009
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I have to disagree somewhat, Rick. I'm not sure you can indict a guy who has 4 world cross titles, 2 Flanders wins, and a boatload of other victories. I think VdP marches to the beat of his own drum, and he's been extraordinarily successful. Back problems aside, only a generational talent like Van Aert can beat him.
But would he be even better had he made different racing schedule choices? Yeah, I think that's probably true.
 
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davidsonduke

Jul 18, 2014
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Moose McKnuckles said:
I have to disagree somewhat, Rick. I'm not sure you can indict a guy who has 4 world cross titles, 2 Flanders wins, and a boatload of other victories. I think VdP marches to the beat of his own drum, and he's been extraordinarily successful. Back problems aside, only a generational talent like Van Aert can beat him.
But would he be even better had he made different racing schedule choices? Yeah, I think that's probably true.
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It's hard to stop doing the very thing that has made you great.
 
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theyoungest

Jan 11, 2010
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Red Rick said:
Back injury is the result of a series of his own fuckups.

If you look at MvdP vs Van Aert in their early years compared to now that's simply an indictment of MvdPs approach to the sport.
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That's based on the simplistic notion that Van Aert is super structured and Van der Poel just does whatever the hell he likes. In reality they and their teams are not that far apart. Van der Poel's trainer Kristof De Kegel might as well work for Jumbo.
 
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Axel Hangleck

Jan 7, 2017
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Zinoviev Letter said:
Persistent back injuries can happen to anyone. But, yes VdP does not appear to have managed his back issues well. Slogging his way to the finish of a second tier cross race after his back goes again is the kind of behaviour that makes me wonder if he’s also suffered a traumatic brain injury.
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Why race at the weekend after having back issues in a race again? I still think returning last season in the mud of Dendermonde wasn't the wisest decision; whether that is him or the team.
 
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Red Rick

Red Rick

Feb 20, 2012
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theyoungest said:
That's based on the simplistic notion that Van Aert is super structured and Van der Poel just does whatever the hell he likes. In reality they and their teams are not that far apart. Van der Poel's trainer Kristof De Kegel might as well work for Jumbo.
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Doing 2 GTs in a row without solid base training and then being surprised you get worse during the 2nd one told me enough.
 
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Z

Zinoviev Letter

Aug 18, 2010
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Axel Hangleck said:
Why race at the weekend after having back issues in a race again? I still think returning last season in the mud of Dendermonde wasn't the wisest decision; whether that is him or the team.
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I hadn’t even noticed that he’s still planning on riding on Sunday. If he had even moderate brain function he’d have been off the bike within ten seconds of his back flaring up today and he wouldn‘t be anywhere near another race until he’s quite certain it’s better. Whatever about the longer term structure of his season, his short term response to his back going just seems completely self destructive
 
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Ricco'

Ricco'

Aug 14, 2012
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From "Oh, he's back!" to "Oh, his back!" in a matter of weeks.

Curiously, the races where he lost more to Van Aert were Mol and Koksijde, both sandy races with big stretches of running, which may be more taxing on the back.

Not a factor in Antwerp though, but maybe there it wasn't as big a deal either by VdP being more fresh (just his 3rd race day) or by being WvA 1st race or by a mixture of both.
 
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Barkintheeye

Barkintheeye

Feb 24, 2015
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Logic-is-your-friend said:
It's comical watching Van der Haar and Iserbyt jump back onto the bike after a running section. Their height is definitely the reason, but when the big boys jump back into the saddle, it's one smooth motion, and their right leg goes straight towards the crank/pedal to immediately click their foot into it. Whereas both Iserbyt and Van der Haar have their legs dangle first after jumping in the saddle. It's funny when you notice it.
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Yeah they really have a certain style those two :)
 
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Barkintheeye

Barkintheeye

Feb 24, 2015
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That was a big blow to Van der Poel. Hope they will be smart about it and go for the bigger picture. Hoogerheide and the road season! Skip whatever is in between.

Van Aert looks indestructible just like Van der Poel in the run up for the World Championship in Bogense 2019. Seems like only a mechanical or a crash can stop him from getting a fourth WC in CX.
 
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jono

Jan 31, 2021
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A single flare-up need not derail an entire season, and it is my understanding that Van der Poel has experienced back issues even during the seasons he was going well, like 2019. I really hope it does not end his cyclocross calendar as that would take all the remaining drama out of the season on the men's side, unless you can manage to get excited about Iserbyt and Vanderhaar battling for minor placings and series wins.

It did give me some comfort that even after stretching his back and giving up, he still put 30 seconds into Sweeck on the final two laps. I do think he and his team will be prudent, just like they were last year when they pulled the plug after 1.5 races.

Edit: Looking at the lap times it seems likely that Sweeck simply sat up sooner than Mathieu did. Perhaps a better way of making this point is that MVDP had his third fastest lap in lap 7 (4 seconds from his best), well after he had been distanced and seen stretching his back.
 
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stonerider

Nov 14, 2009
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I've been saying that MvdP was racing too much this Christmas period...he's not as resilient or as durable as Wout. He needs to take a break now and make sure he's doing his core work...probably slacked off of that with all the recent racing he's been doing. Who manages this guy? Whoever it is needs to be fired. ;)
 
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Ricco'

Ricco'

Aug 14, 2012
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stonerider said:
Who manages this guy? Whoever it is needs to be fired. ;)
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He can't fire himself.

I'm pretty sure he has a lot of saying about the races he wants to do, more than other riders, especially given that the team was practically built around him and if they had the money and the sponsors that gave them the ability to go from Continental to World Tour team in 4 seasons is because of him.

The team should have a saying in some goals (TdF participation, for example) but if he appears in camp and says "I want to ride all the races in the kerstperiode" or "This year after cross and the classics, I'm going to do MTB before and after the Tour because my goal is to win in Paris", even if they are doubtful about that, I'm not sure they have the upper hand and are able to convince him otherwise. He seems the kind of guy who first has to lose big and be kind of humiliated to learn what he should have done (see the defeats in Zolder, Diegem and Loenhout before seeing he should arrive with a different tactic in Herentals).

Even Adri sounded more sensible than him sometimes, at times saying he should forget some goal and rest, but I'm not sure Adri has an influence as strong as before regarding goals and stuff.

And yes, to be honest, Roodhooft doesn't strike to me as being the kind of guy who goes against what his star wants, he seems more like the guy who agrees with it and builds the season around what he wants.
 
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J

jmdirt

Dec 6, 2013
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stonerider said:
I've been saying that MvdP was racing too much this Christmas period...he's not as resilient or as durable as Wout. He needs to take a break now and make sure he's doing his core work...probably slacked off of that with all the recent racing he's been doing. Who manages this guy? Whoever it is needs to be fired. ;)
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May or may not be a core issue. Might be a quad/IT band issue.
 
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