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

[Valv.Piti]

Agree, everything but flat out mountain courses he should ride. And thats once in a blue moon, he has at least decent chances at any WC, every year, assuming hes in good shape.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Next year in Glasgow could be interesting; depending on the timing of the races, he could go for 3 World titles.

 

[Red Rick]

Next year in Glasgow could be interesting; depending on the timing of the races, he could go for 3 World titles.

Dutch media want to know your location

 

[Bonimenier]

I wonder if he's going to participate in a bunchsprint once or twice in the Giro now that Merlier is out. Afaik he has never really tried that before in WT race against top sprinters. I'd like to see how he would do.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I wonder if he's going to participate in a bunchsprint once or twice in the Giro now that Merlier is out. Afaik he has never really tried that before in WT race against top sprinters. I'd like to see how he would do.

too hectic, he doesn't like throwing himself into it

 

[Red Rick]

too hectic, he doesn't like throwing himself into it

Attack on hill > reduce peloton > get caught > win reduced sprint is the way.

 

[Bonimenier]

too hectic, he doesn't like throwing himself into it

I'm not satisfied with that explanation. In the Tour he had no problem bringing the team to the front in the penultimate km. From the overhead shots the last couple of kms are often way more hectic than the final km.

 

[jmdirt]

BEAST! Congrats!

 

[KZD]

In 11 racing days this season, Van der Poel has 4 wins including a monument, a WT classic and a GT stage win and the leaders jersey plus a podium in another monument.

This is shaping up to be his best season so far which is a dream scenario after back injury earlier in the year.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

In 11 racing days this season, Van der Poel has 4 wins including a monument, a WT classic and a GT stage win and the leaders jersey plus a podium in another monument.

This is shaping up to be his best season so far which is a dream scenario after back injury earlier in the year.

Well it's also going to be his longest road season ever as all others contained about 30 race days (in which he scored incredibly).

 

[KZD]

Well it's also going to be his longest road season ever as all others contained about 30 race days (in which he scored incredibly).

Yes, 2019 was his most impressive year so far but this year he is scoring bigger wins with little race days so far

 

[limak_]

Mathieu's max heart rate during today's sprint was 201 bpm.

For comparison his max HR from this year's Poggio was 195, during Roubaix 194, in the '19 Amstel sprint 197.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

While Putin is trying to conquer an entire country, us Belgians have been busy as well it seems.

By the way, the cork didn't hit him in or above his eye as the article wants you to believe, but on his shoulder. The champagne that followed shortly after, did hit his eye. If you watch the footage in slow motion you can tell. But i guess it could have ended worse than it did.

PS: seems like they updated the article. Lame.

 

[OlavEH]

In 11 racing days this season, Van der Poel has 4 wins including a monument, a WT classic and a GT stage win and the leaders jersey plus a podium in another monument.

This is shaping up to be his best season so far which is a dream scenario after back injury earlier in the year.

Definitely. But I'm still waiting for a season where his preperation is absolutely optimal, and where he is in top shape for most of the central weeks during the spring classics season. In that kind of scenario, I think he could be able to win at least two momuments and possible two or three semiclassics in the same spring.

 

[Red Rick]

Mathieu's max heart rate during today's sprint was 201 bpm.

For comparison his max HR from this year's Poggio was 195, during Roubaix 194, in the '19 Amstel sprint 197.

Not that surprising considering it was practically a VO2 max effort while much more rested than at the start of the Poggio.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Wasn't peak VDP though. His best 5m effort was still Mur de Bretagne which was 551W compared to yesterdays measly 506W 5 min power

 

[Red Rick]

Wasn't peak VDP though. His best 5m effort was still Mur de Bretagne which was 551W compared to yesterdays measly 506W 5 min power

I had a theory about this. Drafting is so strong at 5% gradients you can't do 6.7-7.5W/kg or whatever is ideal for 6-7 minutes while drafting cause that probably equates to way too high W/kg for the domestiques doing the pacing.

Van der Poel did like 6.7W/kg yesterday. Pog and Rog can do that for like twice as long. Doesn't mean they would win because they would have to attack and eat wind the entire way. In fact considering Van der Poel averaged ~12W/kg for the final ~8% of the climb he was only doing like 6.3W/kg for the first 5-6 minutes of it.

So in all it's not a great climb for a pure W or W/kg test. I don't think any of the climby boys would beat this, but I'm curious what W/kg Roglic does when he does like a 30 second sprint at the end of Giro del Emilia.

 

[jmdirt]

Let me repeat myself...BEAST!

 

[Bonimenier]

Let me repeat myself...BEAST!

Because he lost a TT to a lightweight climber?

 

[jmdirt]

In 11 racing days this season, Van der Poel has 4 wins including a monument, a WT classic and a GT stage win and the leaders jersey plus a podium in another monument.

This is shaping up to be his best season so far which is a dream scenario after back injury earlier in the year.

Its obviously WAY more prestigious to win dirt races, but these road result are OK too.

 

[jmdirt]

While Putin is trying to conquer an entire country, us Belgians have been busy as well it seems.

By the way, the cork didn't hit him in or above his eye as the article wants you to believe, but on his shoulder. The champagne that followed shortly after, did hit his eye. If you watch the footage in slow motion you can tell. But i guess it could have ended worse than it did.

PS: seems like they updated the article. Lame.

Some Moto GP/SX/MX riders wear their goggles for the bubbly spray to keep corks and bubbly out of their eyes. Even (USA) pro athletes wear goggle for locker room celebrations.

 

[jmdirt]

Because he lost a TT to a lightweight climber?

Because that's his 10th time riding a TT bike...(to second in a GT).

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Mathieu van der Poel neemt als mountainbiker een sabbatical

Video Mathieu van der Poel neemt dit seizoen een sabbatical op de mountainbike. De leider in de Giro d’Italia heeft in samenspraak met zijn ploeg Alpecin-Fenix besloten om zich dit jaar volledig op het wegwielrennen te focussen. “In 2023 is het wel weer de bedoeling om terug in de...

www.wielerflits.nl

No MTB for this season, a shame but I can see the thinking behind it.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

well that would be hard to combine with giro + tour + worlds.

 

[OlavEH]

No MTB for this season, a shame but I can see the thinking behind it.

Excellent. Also hopes he limits the coming CX season and commits more to road racing.