Well, my road bike is the low end rim brake Aeroad and it was $2999 out the door with a decent set of wheels (reynolds carbon 58). I'll take it. Put more money into the MTB cause I don't race on the road and the bike makes a helluva lot more difference on the trails (especially the technical ones).
I disagree Logic. Winning a WC in MTB is a big deal, as is winning a CX WC. Taking the skillset that guys like MVDP, Wout, and Piddy have for granted is a miss.
- Feb 22, 2013
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Is there any update on his MTB plans? The last thing I heard was from earlier this year, when he mentioned that if his back problems persisted, he might have to say goodbye to his Paris 2024 plans.
Haven't heard much about the back thing since San Remo, though.
There's also the issue with the Dutch MTB team needing more qualification points, so if he wants to give it a shot at all, it seems he should either show up this May or in August/September/October after the Road WC.
Haven't heard much about the back thing since San Remo, though.
There's also the issue with the Dutch MTB team needing more qualification points, so if he wants to give it a shot at all, it seems he should either show up this May or in August/September/October after the Road WC.
- Mar 13, 2009
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strongest VDP I ever saw is the one this spring, both in MSR and RVV
Just shows what an animal Pog is to keep him at bay.
Just shows what an animal Pog is to keep him at bay.
- Jan 7, 2017
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Currently, the Dutch won't be sending any male riders to the MTB Olympics; they're in about 30th place. Neither MvdP or Vader have done a World Cup since 2021......
Last year it was reported that 2023 would be a year for the MTB - then things changed. Nothing has been mentioned, so who knows? I'm guessing the MTB Worlds in Scotland are not in his plans, as he'd do a few MTB World Cups to gain points for the starting grid.
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- Mar 13, 2009
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Because he rode solo after the last Kwaremont and oblitered the others in only a bit slower pace than Pogacar. I don't think he could've solo'd like that last year. He even says himself it was his best Flanders physically.
- Sep 12, 2022
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Thijs Zonneveld a journalist that's now also a cyclist and gravel rider was also riding Scheldeprijs today. He said about MVDP:
"I occasionally saw him training alongside the peloton. He then went to pick something up and returned. That was very impressive. We went to the side for a while and he moped past us. He's ready."
"I occasionally saw him training alongside the peloton. He then went to pick something up and returned. That was very impressive. We went to the side for a while and he moped past us. He's ready."
- Feb 22, 2013
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As much as I prefer watching him do all three disciplines, it is scary to think what his road classics palmares would look like if he went straight on to the road exclusively at age 19 like the the Pogi's and EVP's do now. That said, road cycling has work to do to compete with the CX season this 22/23.
This will only be his 3rd Roubaix, which I found surprising.
- Jan 10, 2019
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Even after the Sanremo win, this was the only one I really wanted him to win this year. Hope he can achieve it. And then hopefully also the first time he will be well prepared for the Tour, in full attacking mode.
Interesting little piece on cyclinguptodate.com about MVDP from his training partners. Good to see things going well now - wasn't long ago that everyone was questioning everything. Who knows what he would've done at the WC's, and it doesn't matter anyway.
"The toughest training I did with Mathieu was for the World Cup in Wollongong," reminisces Verdijck. "We had covered almost 230 kilometers and when we were almost home, he asked to add another hour. At 40 an hour, me in his wheel. That day we trained 270 kilometers at an average speed of 37.5 per hour. He was really good for that World Championship in Australia." Before De Laat adds, "He was then arrested there and ended up in prison between the drunks. We felt sorry for him. Mathieu is a very good fellow."
"The toughest training I did with Mathieu was for the World Cup in Wollongong," reminisces Verdijck. "We had covered almost 230 kilometers and when we were almost home, he asked to add another hour. At 40 an hour, me in his wheel. That day we trained 270 kilometers at an average speed of 37.5 per hour. He was really good for that World Championship in Australia." Before De Laat adds, "He was then arrested there and ended up in prison between the drunks. We felt sorry for him. Mathieu is a very good fellow."
- Jul 7, 2013
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It was definitely the best choice to start here today. A 200km race with a strong team is better preparation than a training ride. I always found the gap between the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix difficult, so this Wednesday race was ideal.
The Sunday ride with Teddy was not enough and a week break between monuments it too much for Mathieu. What a monster!
The Sunday ride with Teddy was not enough and a week break between monuments it too much for Mathieu. What a monster!
- Feb 22, 2013
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The funny thing being, he never even rode Roubaix a week after De Ronde before, but whatever suits him best I suppose.
- Sep 2, 2011
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Lol in 2021 it must have been particularly challenging... a six month gap.. He even managed to fit the Tour de France between the 2 races.
- Jun 30, 2022
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I also think having to wait a week until Roubaix after Flanders is long and I have as much experience as Van der Poel in racing both within a week. Maybe he‘s talking from a viewer‘s perspective as well? I don‘t think a non-sprinter has ever said they really wanted to race Scheldeprijs.
Anyway, I don‘t think Roubaix really suits a punchy, explosive rider like Van der Poel. If it were to suit him that well, I think he would’ve won 2021.
Anyway, I don‘t think Roubaix really suits a punchy, explosive rider like Van der Poel. If it were to suit him that well, I think he would’ve won 2021.
- Aug 14, 2012
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Like in 2022, in 2021 he arrived there with a suboptimal preparation, after the back troubles that started after Tokyo. In Leuven we could see that the shape really wasn't perfect (the punch wasn't there) and doing Roubaix one week after that 270km race must have meant, like the year after, that the base training shouldn't be enough to do two difficult hard races in a row.
I feel like this year it's the first time he will do a Paris - Roubaix with a solid preparation for it before.
- Feb 22, 2013
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Yeah in 2021 his excellence on the wet cobbles masked his subpar form. Losing the sprint to Vermeersch was a tell-tale sign.
For me the most encouraging thing about De Ronde wasn't just his attacks on the Taaienberg and Kruisberg, but how he kept pushing hard after the Paterberg. Suggest that his overall engine is up to the task for the first time in Roubaix.
For me the most encouraging thing about De Ronde wasn't just his attacks on the Taaienberg and Kruisberg, but how he kept pushing hard after the Paterberg. Suggest that his overall engine is up to the task for the first time in Roubaix.
- May 2, 2019
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Really great that MvdP is back at the Tour this year. With him, Wout, Bini, Alaphilippe, Mohoric and Matthews in the mix (besides the always hungry Pogi) it will be really hard for not absolute wordl class riders to win a stage. I know everyone winning a stage at the tour is very good but we always have some more unexpected wins like Houle and Clarke last year. Those kind of wins get rarer as the breakaway often looses to the Peleton and more big names use the breakaway to win. Will be hard for the nans peters, Korads, Pollits and even the Kraghs and Teuns of this world to win with that superb field at the start and not that many classic breakaway stages on the table.
For MvdP I'm curious. Can he hold on in stage 1 or 2? Cote de Pike is in my books too hard for him and Wout but they could come back if there's a stalemate at the front. He has to find his peak climbing legs to compete for stage win in this course. I think some of the teams going for stage wins will see their chances slip because the classic breakaway stages are really hard. For me it's more a terrain where a Jorgensen, Vansevenant or Pinot could excel.
For MvdP I'm curious. Can he hold on in stage 1 or 2? Cote de Pike is in my books too hard for him and Wout but they could come back if there's a stalemate at the front. He has to find his peak climbing legs to compete for stage win in this course. I think some of the teams going for stage wins will see their chances slip because the classic breakaway stages are really hard. For me it's more a terrain where a Jorgensen, Vansevenant or Pinot could excel.
- Nov 16, 2013
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Why no Amstel? I know Red Rick will write "smol race" which is probably the reason but it still seems very wrong to me, because it isn't a small race, and it's the only Dutch race on the WorldTour. And he has priors.
- Feb 20, 2012
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I can only imagine they think he won't be in top shape anymore and it's pointless to show up already tired and over his peak.
- Nov 16, 2013
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Probably true. I just don't see the harm in trying, I guess. Greg used to ride all classics through Liège, and I don't think it was fatigue that prevented him from winning that one.
- Apr 30, 2011
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