Ronde van Vlaanderen - Tour des Flandres 2023, one day monument, April 2 (men's)

[Krzysztof_O]

I didn't say they did, but MVDP himself has said that his cross season took more out of him than he'd like, so take the topic up with him.

Didn't MVP and WVA also say that CX is part of their road-season preparations? It's like a few hour-long zone345 workouts per month.

 

[Lequack]

Some more pics

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

So again, take the issue up with MVDP. I agree with him, and believe that Wout would be better off now, not doing a hard cross season (though I love watching cross as much as the spring classics), because they are a bit older and I believe would be fresher in the spring, witout a hard cross season.

 

[rokovski]

No casting couch photo?

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Didn't MVP and WVA also say that CX is part of their road-season preparations? It's like a few hour-long zone345 workouts per month.

I don't know, but I do know that he said his best preparations for spring classics would not include cyclocross. Lets face it, the back injury he got last year, started in cross and affected his entire year, though he had a great result in RVV. I think he and Wout are getting too old to race all year.

 

[Monte Serra]

Comments on Sporza, they're all saying Wout wasn't on his best form like in the Tour. I'm gonna have a field day again. It's been like this for 5 years. It's not a 3 week endurance race today. Sure he was at his best form.

It's gonna be good in Roubaix though, between the crossers.

Pogi 3 different monuments, how old is he?

Wout has never truly been great in spring, yet.

 

[Tim Cahill]

44.1kmph, fastest edition in history

VDP was in great form, he just got beat, sometimes it just be that way.

 

[Didinho]

Wout has never truly been great in spring, yet.

Even when he says he's got the legs he want. He was very strong in Tirreno on the mur stage. After he won Wevelgem with impressive display, everybody said he's the biggest favorite and when he loses he's suddenly not at his best.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Even when he says he's got the legs he want. He was very strong in Tirreno on the mur stage. After he won Wevelgem with impressive display, everybody said he's the biggest favorite and when he loses he's suddenly not at his best.

I don't think he was the biggest favourite, he was a co-favourite. I always rated MVP's chances higher due to having more punch at the end of 270 km race.

 

[Didinho]

I don't think he was the biggest favourite, he was a co-favourite. I always rated MVP's chances higher due to having more punch at the end of 270 km race.

Yes but after he won the sprint in E3 more people (especially here in Belgium) were having him ahead of Mathieu, they were already forgotten he got dropped before.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

As 'cross fan, I fear we may have seen the last of the epic MvP, WvA, Pidcock battles.
And frankly, I don't see anyone coming up the ranks to fill that massive gap. Maybe Thibau Nys...

 

[Lequack]

From the UAE car

https://twitter.com/x/status/1642579900866478080

View: https://twitter.com/VelonCC/status/1642579900866478080?s=20

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

One last observation from today: I believe that was Pog at 93% or so.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

One last observation from today: I believe that was Pog at 93% or so.

Evidence?

 

[Red Rick]

One last observation from today: I believe that was Pog at 93% or so.

If there is one race Pogacar was aiming for before the Tour it was this one.

Meanwhile, is it me or is there now a very big trend of monuments being dominated by riders that didn't race super heavily or even underwhelm in some races before?

RVV '23 Pogacar last raced 9 days before
MSR '23 MvdP wasn't flying in Tirreno a week prior
Lombardia '22 Pogacar got beaten in Emilia a week before
Liege '22 Evenepoel didn't contest Fleche
Roubaix '22 Van Baarle was 2 minutes down in Amstel
Ronde '22 MvdP won DDV but didn't race GW or E3
MSR '22 Mohoric DNF in Strade Bianche 2 weeks before and didn't race Tirreno or PN
Lombardia '21 Pogacar got spanked all over Italy in the weeks before Lombardia
Roubaix '21 Colbrelli only got 10th at the WCRR the week prior
Liege '21 Pogacar didn't get to race Fleche, and was beaten in Itzulia
RVV '21 Asgreen won E3 9 days before but took a chill day in DDV mid week
MSR '21 Stuyven winning MSR is his first top 10 that season

For lulz.
WCRR '22 Evenepoel surprisingly got beaten in Worlds ITT in midweek
WCRR '21 Alaphilippe was getting soundly beaten by Van Aert in GB
Olympics '21 Carapaz wins Olympics despite Pog stomping all over him all Tour

Then basically all Jumbo riders, especially Roglic and Van Aert have a pretty strong inverse pattern of this.

 

[Monsi]

Chapeau to the riders! One of the best races I've seen in my life. I started watching a bit late so I missed the crosswind action but my eyes were glued for like the last 100 km or so.

Really wanted Pogacar to win this one so I'm glad he finally did it. He was just the strongest today. I am glad that I get to watch him race. He really deserved this one. What a ride by MVDP too despite the problems earlier that day. Well-deserved podium too for Mads.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Lombardia '22 Pogacar got beaten in Emilia a week before

Pogacar won Tre Valli Varesine just a few days before Lombardia 2022 plus 2nd place in Emilia isn't bad at all. He wasn't bad in Itzulla 2021 either (before Liege victory) but missed FW indeed due to false positive test. Other than that there may be some trend. Building a short-lasting peak is an explanation probably.

 

[Riek s]

Pog looked fantastic. What a rider, can really do everything. Probably the only guy in the peleton who can (and might) win every classic and GT by the end of his career (bar accidents or other).

For WVA, he is never that good in RVV, i just don't think the course suits him as it suits VDP/Pog. I can see him win it if some more stars align though. (might as well never win it either).

Next week PR, this suits WVA a bit better so lets see if he can take at least one classic win home (Also no Pog there).

RVV, its always a massive buildup and lots of expectations... but it didn't disappoint at all.

 

[Red Rick]

Pogacar won Tre Valli Varesine just a few days before Lombardia plus 2nd place in Emilia isn't bad at all. He wasn't bad in Itzulla 2021 eithere (before Liege victory). Other than that there may be some trend.

First in a 20 guy sprint in an u200 km race isn't the hardest race in the world.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

First in a 20 guy sprint in an u200 km race isn't the hardest race in the world.

I added a sentence about building a short-lasting peak. This requires a specific buildup that includes more easy days. This could be an explanation.

 

[search]

If there is one race Pogacar was aiming for before the Tour it was this one.

asked about the missing monuments in the post race interview today, Pogacar said "I was in one of the best shapes of my life" for Sanremo, so he certainly can't be too far off indeed. Just at a bit of a different weight, compared to July.

 

[Danskebjerge]

Positive: At least some riders tried to challenge the dominance of Pogacar/van der Poel/van Aert.
Negative: It didn't work. Even when those three are on the backfoot, they can easily make up for it.

Men's cycling is more and more becoming like women's cycling. If I hadn't had personal favourites in the top 10-20, I would definitely find it boring.

 

[Escarabajo]

What a great race this one. I just finished watching. I was rooting for Pogacar and he won. It was a bit complicated for him and he had to play his cards during the race. At the end his shear power did it for him. Trentin could only help him a little bit. I think MVDP helped him a little bit eliminating one of his main rivals early. At the end Wout didn't look as strong but you never know because he had to do a lot of work alone. I wasn't expecting MVDP to drop on that climb but he did and the rest is history. This was going to be his third victory for the great Mathew if it wasn't for this TdF winner who decided to give it a go at Flanders against the specialists. A rarity now a days since the Merkx era. I am impressed at this young kid and I am very happy to be watching this era of great cyclists.

 

[Red Rick]

I added a sentence about building a short-lasting peak. This requires a specific buildup that includes more easy days. This could be an explanation.

I don't know that it's about a short lasting peak considering they're also flying in E3 and Sanremo, and Pog massacred Paris-Nice.

I think it might just be more about the specific work you do in the week prior to the monument. For a super hard monument, I think being fresh enough is key, which means you need to have built your peak shape a little earlier so you can then dial it back slightly the week before the monument and then be in top shape and be fresh for the monument too.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

I don't know that it's about a short lasting peak considering they're also flying in E3 and Sanremo, and Pog massacred Paris-Nice.

I think it might just be more about the specific work you do in the week prior to the monument. For a super hard monument, I think being fresh enough is key, which means you need to have built your peak shape a little earlier so you can then dial it back slightly the week before the monument and then be in top shape and be fresh for the monument too.

Yes but it explains only part of your cases. In some (like Lombardy 2021) the winner clearly peaked in this race so it was a typical short-lasting peak.