Really, 5 years lost for coppi surely put him within shouting distance. He might even have won more grand tours.
- Jun 6, 2017
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Coppi was Campionissimo, greatest of all-time, but only after Merckx...
- Feb 20, 2012
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He beat nobody he wasnt a favorite to beat. De Ronde has been much more hilly fabourable in recent years than before. Cobbles are overrated, especially the Flemish ones.
I think being heavy used to be an advantage on the stones but better bikes probanly negate that.
In the end its also not about pure explosivity but about repeated uphill efforts.
Also smaller gears on the Pater and Koppenberg help out a tonne.
If there had beem no cobbles on the hills im convinced VdP would have won more easily cause it makes drag bigger and efforts shorter
- Mar 13, 2009
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I was saying recently the advances in technologies might make cobbles not a specialized anymore, especially in Flanders, where the cobbles are already less hard.
And I had the same hypothesis as you, I think now actually VDP would probably follow more easily on asphalted cobbles <1km then cobbles vs Pogacar, as weird as it may sound.
Well I picked him for the win in Flanders both pre season and before the race in the prediction game so I definitely thought he had the qualities to smash it on the cobbles.
- Feb 20, 2012
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Yeah.
It was also a very clear tactic by Pog to go as early as possible on every hill to make the sharp efforts longer. Normally you'd sort of see some hills be a bit of a waiting game until the steep part, like the Muur van Geraardsbergen would always be. Also Pog has huge seated power.
I think this trend of De Ronde being much more of a hilly classic in scenarios will continue in the coming years. It's different from the other Flemish ones due to the much harder hilly zone, and it's a bit hidden by the fact that we see VdP and WvA primarily as cobbled riders, but they're a lot more versatile than Boonen and Cancellara were.
I really don't remember that when Boonen and Canc dominated De Ronde they would just go and crush every hill they could.
- Mar 13, 2009
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VDP's specialty is really the seated accelerations on cobbles (see also RVV kwaremont 2021). So for Pogacar the only decent counter was to make every climb as hard as possible from the foot. Because if you let the speed drop and VDP accelerate then we know what happens.
It's therefore still funny that Pogacar actually made the mistake in the sprint. He literally gave VDP the opportunity to use his specialty for once, the huge acceleration.
It's therefore still funny that Pogacar actually made the mistake in the sprint. He literally gave VDP the opportunity to use his specialty for once, the huge acceleration.
- Apr 13, 2021
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The more I think about, Tadej shouldn't have worked with VDP after the last Paterberg
- Jun 11, 2021
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I think VdP calls his bluff and softpaces. It's not WVA coming from behind like last year, don't think he would've been worried about Van Baarle and Madouas for the sprint.
- Apr 12, 2015
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- Aug 13, 2011
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How easier/harder would it be in his body constantly riding a schedule like this every year vs like Contador when he’d ride at least 4 stage races plus one day sometimes before June? Crashes aside.
- Aug 3, 2015
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- Apr 13, 2021
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- Mar 13, 2009
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nah, bigger chance VDP counters him and then somebody like Van Baarle goes and wins.
- Nov 16, 2013
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What are you talking about? There has been no news that I can find that he will do the race.
Goes on reconaissance of the cobbled sectors of TDF stage, posts some pictures and people makes the wrong conclusion.
Tadej himself poured a lot of fuel to that fire with his posts on Twitter
- Jul 7, 2013
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He was just trolling Van der Poel, Asgreen and co, methinks. The Tour recon was his goal OFC and the Ardennes classics should have priority as well.
- Apr 12, 2015
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Please don't ruin my wishful thinking. This is the place where dreams come true.
this, I was thinking why are you working Pog, he is the better sprinter let him work if he wants to win.
- Nov 16, 2013
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How would that work? So, after making him die a thousand deaths on the Paterberg, Pogacar - the reigning double Tour champion and double reigning monument winner - should just say, nah, now you're the best, and I expect a ride home to the line.
Maybe that works in theory class but in practice it's never going to happen.
Exactly. Also MvDP could just have sat up as well, knowing he had the best sprint and waited for the chasers, why would he give a ***, Pog would have been the one to lose out.
- Apr 13, 2021
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You have to be prepared to loss the race to win. Pogacar has more chances of winning from a 4 man group than from a 2
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