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

[tobydawq]

First he would have to listen to Jumbo...that may be the problem. But I also believe his current team tries to race him in too many stage races for media exposure, which isn't good for him as we've seen. He can be so strong but at the same time so fragile.

Oh, please...

Maybe two Grand Tours in a row with an altitude camp inbetween, all with a bad back, was not the most brilliant idea, but people on this forum act as if he is a neopro ten years ago with what they think he can endure schedule-wise.

 

[Red Rick]

Oh, please...

Maybe two Grand Tours in a row with an altitude camp inbetween, all with a bad back, was not the most brilliant idea, but people on this forum act as if he is a neopro ten years ago with what they think he can endure schedule-wise.

The point about Giro-Tour is that he did it basically without a winter base and basically rushing to hit a peak in April. Nobody really doubts that MvdP can do Giro-Tour and hunt stages in both if he's well prepared for that.

But right now it appears the back is acting up again so I don't know what he's doing. Maybe it's just CX specific.

 

[jono]

The point about Giro-Tour is that he did it basically without a winter base and basically rushing to hit a peak in April. Nobody really doubts that MvdP can do Giro-Tour and hunt stages in both if he's well prepared for that.

But right now it appears the back is acting up again so I don't know what he's doing. Maybe it's just CX specific.

It's the same issue. Lack of base.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

But right now it appears the back is acting up again so I don't know what he's doing. Maybe it's just CX specific.

Maybe its a combination of many races in a short period, and repeated seated efforts in mud/ sand doesn't help....???

 

[Extinction]

Can't be fun to be repeatedly dominated by Wout, when once it was the other way around.

 

[Berniece]

It's the same issue. Lack of base.

If he's got a lack of base for the CX season, then riding these races will also give him a lack of proper base for the road season? Than I don't understand why he's even racing doing CX at the moment. Just prepare properly for the road, so that if everything goes well, you can also do a proper CX season next year.

He started the race today by saying, my back is still a bit stiff... Then don't ride.

 

[Eeslliw]

If he's got a lack of base for the CX season, then riding these races will also give him a lack of proper base for the road season? Than I don't understand why he's even racing doing CX at the moment. Just prepare properly for the road, so that if everything goes well, you can also do a proper CX season next year.

He started the race today by saying, my back is still a bit stiff... Then don't ride.

Does he has some contract obligation to ride CX (with Canyon maybe)? I just can't understand why would you ride CX races with bad back. That has to be one of the worst things to do as you have 1h race with constant surges to the max watts and with surface (mud etc.) where you have to search for balance all the time. I would imagine the strain on the back is much lesser in the road with grippy, constant surface aka asphalt.

I am afraid he will have to hold back in preparations to the road season and won't be able to build the necessary base to go thru the season in the highest level.

 

[Berniece]

Does he has some contract obligation to ride CX (with Canyon maybe)? I just can't understand why would you ride CX races with bad back. That has to be one of the worst things to do as you have 1h race with constant surges to the max watts and with surface (mud etc.) where you have to search for balance all the time. I would imagine the strain on the back is much lesser in the road with grippy, constant surface aka asphalt.

I am afraid he will have to hold back in preparations to the road season and won't be able to build the necessary base to go thru the season in the highest level.

Who knows, he might thought it was an easy 15K to earn

 

[Red Rick]

Doing the CX season this way makes 0 sense lol.

 

[Third Time Lucky]

It is hard to understand but enjoy in the guys misery if it makes you laugh.

 

[Billie]

Is this an observation or something that has been reported?

Adrie said so in an interview in Antwerp and it's also quite clear on screen when watching the races. Especially given before Thursday Van Aert and Van der Poel have been riding together for 95% of the races.

 

[Billie]

This Jumbo idea is the dumbest thing I've read in weeks. It wouldn't even take half as long as it took for Dumoulin for him to quit.

 

[Billie]

Also today the problem today seemed to me like it was more a lack of technique than lack of form. And it's been like that for most races this season. It's a lot of uncharacteristic technical mistakes. I can remember more mistakes this season than in full seasons he rode pre 2020.

The pre 2020 which was the best crosser ever would find an obstacle on every course where he could stay on his bike while everyone else had to get off. I'm certain that version would have ridden up that first hill after the first drop in the kuil on 7 out of the 8 laps.

 

[theyoungest]

This Jumbo idea is the dumbest thing I've read in weeks. It wouldn't even take half as long as it took for Dumoulin for him to quit.

That had little to do with Jumbo, and more with Dumoulin, who just didn't have the intrinsic motivation anymore to be a pro athlete. Van der Poel is a totally different person than Dumoulin, he's a natural born competitor whereas Dumoulin sort of became a sportsman by accident.

I don't think it's going to happen, although Jumbo do lack a rider that really appeals to the general public in the Netherlands, so in that sense he could be very interesting for them.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Also today the problem today seemed to me like it was more a lack of technique than lack of form. And it's been like that for most races this season. It's a lot of uncharacteristic technical mistakes. I can remember more mistakes this season than in full seasons he rode pre 2020.

The pre 2020 which was the best crosser ever would find an obstacle on every course where he could stay on his bike while everyone else had to get off. I'm certain that version would have ridden up that first hill after the first drop in the Kuil on 7 out of the 8 laps.

I'd say the skills training has probably been overlooked while he's been riding mainly on the road over the last 2 years. It's bound to have an effect, even on someone like MvdP. You have to be practising them regularly; even the best off-road riders have to keep their skills fresh. As a result, when you're under pressure you can perform without mistakes.....His form is off, and he can't ride mistake free.
I recall Zonhoven from 2017, and the 'save' when he got sideways coming down the descent......the current version would have likely crashed.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I find this lack of technique argument rather strange. It makes no sense. We're talking about a guy who grew up on a bike, he's been doing CX this year since before Van Aert. But now suddenly Van Aert's technique, a guy who has been hugely inferior in that department since they were kids, is better? Come on guys, it's just Van der Poel who is not fully fit, which is the reason for his continuous errors.

 

[Ricco']

He himself said that is hard to keep the focus 100% on the race and on technical aspect of his ride while having to deal with the back pain.

 

[Nick2413]

Cycling with back pain is awful, I can’t imagine dealing with it on 1 hour all out efforts with frequent accelerations and sprints. What legal treatments/meds are these guys allowed to use?

 

[Oldermanish]

The point about Giro-Tour is that he did it basically without a winter base and basically rushing to hit a peak in April. Nobody really doubts that MvdP can do Giro-Tour and hunt stages in both if he's well prepared for that.

But right now it appears the back is acting up again so I don't know what he's doing. Maybe it's just CX specific.

That back problem won't go away without rest. His small team counts on him for appearances and may not have the luxury of and off season for him.

 

[Extinction]

Of course, I wouldn't want his back flaring up to coincide with each time he realizes he can't beat Wout. That may sound malicious, but it's not intended to be.

 

[fox]

Also today the problem today seemed to me like it was more a lack of technique than lack of form. And it's been like that for most races this season. It's a lot of uncharacteristic technical mistakes. I can remember more mistakes this season than in full seasons he rode pre 2020.

The pre 2020 which was the best crosser ever would find an obstacle on every course where he could stay on his bike while everyone else had to get off. I'm certain that version would have ridden up that first hill after the first drop in the kuil on 7 out of the 8 laps.

The problem is that WVA is in much better shape than MVDP. Therefore WVA doesn't have to take risks and makes less mistakes. MVDP on the other hand has to take a lot of risks, just to keep up. A few years ago MVDP was just better than WVA and he didn't have to take all those risks, he is taking now.

 

[fox]

Of course, I wouldn't want his back flaring up to coincide with each time he realizes he can't beat Wout. That may sound malicious, but it's not intended to be.

Yesterday you could see him standing up on the pedals a lot. I think his back really isn't ok. The sensible thing to do is to stay away from CX or his road season could be in jeopardy once again.

 

[glassmoon]

Cycling with back pain is awful, I can’t imagine dealing with it on 1 hour all out efforts with frequent accelerations and sprints. What legal treatments/meds are these guys allowed to use?

sadly my fear from few years back seems to be correct - he will not be in his full potential until he solves his back issue with surgery (if possible)... this is not injury, this is a condition.

 

[Billie]

The problem is that WVA is in much better shape than MVDP. Therefore WVA doesn't have to take risks and makes less mistakes. MVDP on the other hand has to take a lot of risks, just to keep up. A few years ago MVDP was just better than WVA and he didn't have to take all those risks, he is taking now.

The shape thing I do not agree at all.
Up untill Koksijde there was no evidence at all to support that Van Aert has better shape. In the races before that one it was always Van der Poel who took most of the initiative and who put Van Aert under a ton of pressure and main reason he didn't win more of them was technical mistakes like in Zolder and Loenhout.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

The shape thing I do not agree at all.
Up untill Koksijde there was no evidence at all to support that Van Aert has better shape. In the races before that one it was always Van der Poel who took most of the initiative and who put Van Aert under a ton of pressure and main reason he didn't win more of them was technical mistakes like in Zolder and Loenhout.

The mistakes are due to a combination of lack of form & lack of skills training over the last few years. That's why you practice skills, so you can perform them when under pressure successfully. At his best, he is usually mistake free....2019; Bogense and the one technical feature; he aced that virtually every lap and that's where the gap over Van Aert came from. Nove Mesto and riding alone with Schurter for the last lap...no mistakes under pressure....