Teams & Riders The "MVP" Mathieu Van der Poel Road Discussion Thread

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Open Horizon

Feb 22, 2013
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tobydawq said:
Lol, he was practically in the breakaway of every mountain stage in his early years...
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Only until the intermediate sprint. Those breakaways are always super casual affairs anyway, with the peloton not bothered to chase.

Very different from MvdP's super high intensity efforts during stage 2, his TT on 5, or the famous stage 7, when mostly he took the initiative in decimating Pogacar's team for 100 k's.

The intensity of racing MvdP has given us all year long across disciplines is unmatched in cycling history. Sadly i dont think he can't replicate it himself either.
 
tobydawq

tobydawq

Nov 16, 2013
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Open Horizon said:
Only until the intermediate sprint. Those breakaways are always super casual affairs anyway, with the peloton not bothered to chase.

Very different from MvdP's super high intensity efforts during stage 2, his TT on 5, or the famous stage 7, when mostly he took the initiative in decimating Pogacar's team for 100 k's.

The intensity of racing MvdP has given us all year long across disciplines is unmatched in cycling history. Sadly i dont think he can't replicate it himself either.
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Okay, I get it Van der Poel is the ultimate cycling god.

But you're really not being fair to Sagan. He was as much a monster as Van der Poel in his early years. And he actually finished his Grand Tours and didn't just plan to ride the first week so he could afford to expend much more energy compared to the opposition...
 
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Zoef-Lightning

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tobydawq said:
Okay, I get it Van der Poel is the ultimate cycling god.

But you're really not being fair to Sagan. He was as much a monster as Van der Poel in his early years. And he actually finished his Grand Tours and didn't just plan to ride the first week so he could afford to expend much more energy compared to the opposition...
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That's correct. People seem to forget quickly. Sagan was far more a monster in his early years than Van der Poel (cyclocross excepted).
Sagan won a lot of bunch sprints, hill sprints, sprints in small groups after a long attack, 2 top classics, a few semi-classics, and many other races. He also finished second as often as he won.
In addition, at the age of 27 he had already won 3 worldtitles. Which is phenomenal.

Van der Poel is already 27 ..... won one stage in the Tour, one top classic and two semi-classics and a few nice other wins.
Not comparable at all.

After the age of 29, Sagan's level deteriorated quickly. But it remains to be seen whether that will be different at VDP.
 
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Bolder

Jun 25, 2015
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Zoef-Lightning said:
That's correct. People seem to forget quickly. Sagan was far more a monster in his early years than Van der Poel (cyclocross excepted).
Sagan won a lot of bunch sprints, hill sprints, sprints in small groups after a long attack, 2 top classics, a few semi-classics, and many other races. He also finished second as often as he won.
In addition, at the age of 27 he had already won 3 worldtitles. Which is phenomenal.

Van der Poel is already 27 ..... won one stage in the Tour, one top classic and two semi-classics and a few nice other wins.
Not comparable at all.

After the age of 29, Sagan's level deteriorated quickly. But it remains to be seen whether that will be different at VDP.
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Excellent points. Sagan was also on relatively weak teams. I don't necessarily rate vdp over him at all, but I think that anyone who followed cycling closely since 2010 would say the same.
 
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senna6541

Jan 18, 2020
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Hard to compare Sagan and MVDP numbers-wise given how late MVDP started on the road. He's only started 3 RVV's (4th, 1st, 2nd) and 1 PR (3rd) - the two races that define a classics rider's career. And of course only two road WC's - on of which he was at maybe 90% and still finished 8th and would have been odds on to win if healthy. Bottom line is that MVDP's hit rate is in UCI elite bike races (across disciplines) is pretty much untouchable.
 
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senna6541

Jan 18, 2020
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I hope MVDP has some really good doctors/trainers that can make sure he does whatever is best for the next 8 years vs. the next 8 weeks - because I imagine he is absolutely starting to chomp at the bit. It's got to be killing him watching WVA ride away on the Bosberg when he knows he would be locking Wout and everyone else in the pain closet on those kinds of difference making classic climbs. He's building a pretty strong base, and with his talent he could likely get to a level where he would scare the hell out of everyone if he were to line up at RVV and PR. Also, he seems like a guy who feeds on adrenaline and emotion, and now that the crowds are back at the Classics it would be epic to see MVDP making the charge.
 
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stonerider

Nov 14, 2009
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Axel Hangleck said:
Hopefully not.....I want to see him back on the MTB; he has unfinished business.....
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He just needs to make sure he has his saddle position on the MTB comparable to the saddle position on his road bike so he doesn't screw up his back again. I run my saddle position the same on road, MTB, and CX using the same crank length on all bikes so the training (turning circles with your legs) works the same muscles.
 
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Ricco'

Ricco'

Aug 14, 2012
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The time up Coll de Rates is promising, at least. 27 seconds slower than what Pogi was doing in january and 14 slower than Ayuso in a 3km climb at 9,6%.

It will be probably difficult to reach the 2019 level (or last spring's) but I think it can be managed to start Ronde with the same level he had in last year's Worlds and Roubaix.
 
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Zoef-Lightning

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Ricco' said:
The time up Coll de Rates is promising, at least. 27 seconds slower than what Pogi was doing in january and 14 slower than Ayuso in a 3km climb at 9,6%.

It will be probably difficult to reach the 2019 level (or last spring's) but I think it can be managed to start Ronde with the same level he had in last year's Worlds and Roubaix.
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The question is : is starting in Flanders wise ? Just like starting in the WC and in Roubaix was not wise.
 
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Dekker_Tifosi

Dekker_Tifosi

Mar 13, 2009
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everything points towards him aiming for AGR/Roubaix tbh. I think Flanders is just a week too early.

Might try LBL again with that late start?
 
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senna6541

Jan 18, 2020
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We'll see, pretty sure MVDP is the only guy in the world with the talent and sheer aggression to put someone like Pocagar in a "...moment of crisis." Every key spring race that proceeds without MVDP is a level below.
 
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senna6541

Jan 18, 2020
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I'd much rather be watching him tear things up at TA right now, but on the bright side, when was the last time MVDP had the time to build the sort of base he is building right now? It is going to be very interesting to see what he can do from here. If his back holds up, the scary thing for his competition is that he still has upside - finally getting to put miles and meters in without worrying about the next race - still hasn't gotten the physiological benefits of completing a GT. Folks want to say he is going to be limited from here, but he could get even better.
 
Dekker_Tifosi

Dekker_Tifosi

Mar 13, 2009
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senna6541 said:
I'd much rather be watching him tear things up at TA right now, but on the bright side, when was the last time MVDP had the time to build the sort of base he is building right now? It is going to be very interesting to see what he can do from here. If his back holds up, the scary thing for his competition is that he still has upside - finally getting to put miles and meters in without worrying about the next race - still hasn't gotten the physiological benefits of completing a GT. Folks want to say he is going to be limited from here, but he could get even better.
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he never built a base for road like he is doing now. It was always cyclocross > 1 week rest > training camp > road races > rest > training camp (mtb) > mtb races > etc

so it is something new. On the other hand, realise he comes from far back with doing nothing for months. So at best he reaches his old level. He won't be better
 
lemon cheese cake

lemon cheese cake

Sep 28, 2014
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Another very big day today according to his strava that was a 'slow ' ride. He averaged 30,2km/h for 216km (18,7mph for 134 miles).

Brother David hasn't uploaded to strava since the Dutch cx nationals. Maybe they only have one bike computer that they share between the two of them!:D
 
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