True, but I kind've like the fact that he can't restrain himself. '21 TA was f'ing awesome to watch. The the best guys in the world slugging it out in an "unimportant" race (apparently they didn't think so). MVDP blowing up the race and then attacking on the downhill while fueling was nice. And then it is always interesting to see someone of MVDP's talent bonking and barely able to turn the pedals by the finish line.
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Yup. It's probably cost him a few results over the years but would you prefer a more conservative MVDP winning a bit more often or one who pulls off wins like AGR '19 or Mur de Bretagne '21 or an accidental solo 50k attack at Tirreno?
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That was one of the best stages in recent memory, but I still think Tadej could’ve caught him if he really wanted.
I'd rather he save his fragile back for an all out assault on MSR, Flanders and/or Paris Roubaix when he's fully "healthy"...whatever "healthy" means for him. The year after the Tirreno 50K attack he was not good the rest of the spring. Just like he was crap the rest of the 2022 summer when he was attacking on every stage of the Giro...he doesn't come out stronger but much weaker after he tries these crazy things.
His last "stage race" was during the CX Christmas/New Years period and he kept getting weaker and weaker while Wout just kept chugging along.
Wout wasn't exactly flying after the 2021 Tirreno, either.
I think sometimes fatigue created during T-A 2021 is severely overstated here. No doubt it may be a factor but how many riders are able to keep top form from Strade Bianche until Ronde van Vlaanderen? Because we saw a monster MVDP there and if it was any other rider we wouldn't have any doubt that he peaked too soon before the monuments.
He missed a big win after Tirreno that year but I wouldn't say he had a not good classics season after that.
In M-S-R he starts the Poggio in 29th position, is around 10th position when Alaphilippe attacks with Van Aert on his wheel and he is the one who closes the space. Right after that Van Aert attacks again and it goes until the top of the Poggio. Stuyven sneaks away in the descent and he has no team mate to close the gap while the group relies on him and Van Aert to close Stuyven. So I'd say there was more a matter of bad positioning and lack of team mates than of legs.
In E3 he is one of strongest in the race, attacking from far and manages to crack Van Aert with a crazy acceleration in one of the last bergs. The group regroups after that on the flat run-in and with their team advantage, Asgreen breaks away while he has no one there to close the gap (as far as I remember, Vermeersch rejoined the group after and he was alone with Senechal on the same group).
In RvV he also made a couple of very strong climbs who managed to crack Van Aert, but Asgreen was super and as VDP led much of the final 12 km flat run-in, Asgreen had more in the tank to be the faster in the sprint.
He missed a big win after Tirreno that year but I wouldn't say he had a not good classics season after that.
In M-S-R he starts the Poggio in 29th position, is around 10th position when Alaphilippe attacks with Van Aert on his wheel and he is the one who closes the space. Right after that Van Aert attacks again and it goes until the top of the Poggio. Stuyven sneaks away in the descent and he has no team mate to close the gap while the group relies on him and Van Aert to close Stuyven. So I'd say there was more a matter of bad positioning and lack of team mates than of legs.
In E3 he is one of strongest in the race, attacking from far and manages to crack Van Aert with a crazy acceleration in one of the last bergs. The group regroups after that on the flat run-in and with their team advantage, Asgreen breaks away while he has no one there to close the gap (as far as I remember, Vermeersch rejoined the group after and he was alone with Senechal on the same group).
In RvV he also made a couple of very strong climbs who managed to crack Van Aert, but Asgreen was super and as VDP led much of the final 12 km flat run-in, Asgreen had more in the tank to be the faster in the sprint.
Hoping for the best for MVDP, but he's either not posting his training to Strava or he's not really able to train. Meanwhile, Wout is doing his crazy JV 6 hr + rides with 12K of climbing and KOMS galore. Next few weeks will be interesting.
Have always wondered about that. We know Pogy has always kind've looked up to MVDP - admires his style I imagine. I recall he dropped Wout and kept riding through guys after he had that mech and was gaining on MVDP at a pretty crazy rate - after he and Wout had gone hard on the mountain stage the day before. That whole race was crazy because it seemed like the best guys in the world showed up at a "training" race and got caught up in the competition and just went balls to the wall.
Yesterday, per Instagram, he did some derny training with Kristof De Kegel, so he isn't off the bike.
I think the Strava thing was a bet/dare/promise/whatever we wanna call it he did for the entire 2022, to put all his activities there. Don't think he'll be always so regular.
Elos Anjos
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That stage was one of the best days in cycling in recent years. I was happy to see that live.
I would even buy the DVD and the Forum live comments.
I think that was the moment where Pogacar proved he's an alien from outer space in a human form destined to entertain or die trying.
That and Tdf were the stages where I welcmed the kid in my heart.
Absolutely true. Epic performance by MVDP and Pogacar. Then RVV in 2020 and 2022, Strade Bianche 2021 and Amstel in 2019, I can watch these races a hundred times and still get excited.
I was listening to it live while on a ride myself and had to stop and watch the action because it was so insane. Grateful we have such entertaining guys at the top of both the GC and single day scene right now.
Can confirm, still excited post-100 watches of each.
The number of activities on his activity profile has been going up every day this week, even as the most recent posted activity is from January 7th. It looks as though all his recent activities are being set as private. Disappointing for us fans who like to follow along, but I don't think anyone needs to be worried that he's unable to train.
According to himself he trained for 3 hours behind a moped at 40 km/h in the morning of the race in Zonhoven.
So after a day of pain in Koksijde, it's not exactly surprising it manifested again 3 days later during a race held few hours after a training session, I think.
So after a day of pain in Koksijde, it's not exactly surprising it manifested again 3 days later during a race held few hours after a training session, I think.
I believe MvdP is trying to train/race as much as Wout, but apparently his body/back can't handle that big of a load. Maybe that nutrition brand he advertises for on Instagram occasionally isn't working out for him.
Starting to look like MVDP should just say the hell with it and sign up with JV. The stuff they posted on Strava today was a bit insane - and Wout threw in a run for kicks. Didn't read the details, but seems like Rohan did well today too. Probably not in MVDP's nature though. He's a bit of a maverick, and pretty much built a team on his own instead of just joining up. Still, my guess is he gets to where he needs to in order kick Wout's ass in '23 - like he's done throughout most of their careers when they line up head to head.
Wout hasn’t had a single week under 400km since October and that’s all the further back we can see. He manages to be one of the highest volume riders while also being one of the biggest and still keeps the intensity and explosiveness as if he’s fresh. Wouldn’t be a surprise if MVDP somehow manages to one up him in the coming races but I really think this is Wout’s year to clean up on big wins, if there ever will be.
Has GCN been reading this thread? (re: MVDP's Strava radio silence, compared with other riders)
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHx-PZl7dHg&ab_channel=GlobalCyclingNetwork
Yes, seems like he's gone back to not posting. Before last spring it seems like he only posted his bizarre stuff like '19 AG and '21 SB. I would love to see his '19 RVV file. For a while there he was completely transparent - even posting HR - which you almost never see the top guys do. To me it seems like an important measure in races where they are coming in fresh - like the big one days. Or the early stages of a GT like the Giro last year when he hit a max of 201 during that nasty drag on the stage 1. You could see that he was completely on the limit, and his HR backed that up.
People like to bag on MVDP for "giving up" in races where he thinks he can't win (or he'll only win because of a Wout mechanical), but he is an absolute killer when he gets even a feint whiff of the finish line. Guess that's why he's won so many elite races across three disciplines.
I know I'm expecting way too much, but I have this vision of the cross worlds being a battle from lap one, kicking bits of each other all race, and then a two up sprint for the line.
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