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

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Peyroteo94

Peyroteo94

Mar 20, 2022
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Andy schleck said:
Demolished? 20/25 seconds is being demolished?
Van der poel demolished pogacar on MSR right?
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He dropped MVP two times in the race. And when he beat MVP the second time in Kwaremont, MVP was in his wheel and was outclimbed very easily. In MSR, Pogi was attacking, everyone followed and after that MVP did a very smart attack (so I think he beat Pogacar by intelligence and noy by pure power. When in Flanders, Pogi was just stronger) to get a gap.
 
Andy schleck

Andy schleck

Jul 18, 2020
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Peyroteo94 said:
He dropped MVP two times in the race. And when he beat MVP the second time in Kwaremont, MVP was in his wheel and was outclimbed very easily. In MSR, Pogi was attacking, everyone followed and after that MVP did a very smart attack (so I think he beat Pogacar by intelligence and noy by pure power. When in Flanders, Pogi was just stronger) to get a gap.
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He breaked the record of poggio. Pogacar got no answer to his attack.
 
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Gigs_98

Gigs_98

Feb 18, 2015
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It's really weird. He just won two of the first three monuments of the season and finished the other one in 2nd, yet it really didn't feel like he was any stronger than in previous years. He got dropped in his natural playground, the ronde, for the first time since 2019, he won Roubaix but got insanely lucky with a van Aert puncture and the only race where he really shone was in MSR. And while that was one hell of a win, it was 100% made possible by Pogacar playing leadout man for him. I really don't know how to feel about his classics season. It's a bit like Boonen in 2012 where the results had never been better but it didn't actually feel like we were watching him at his very best.

I guess that's cycling for you and he will gladly take it. But especially compared to van Aert he has really maxed out his classics potential recently.
 
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Valv.Piti

Valv.Piti

Aug 3, 2015
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Disagree, this is the best Van der Poel I have seen. He was insane in both cobbled monuments despite not flat out dominating and who even goes solo in MSR? No one but him. He was just facing a freaking alien in Flanders (best performance I have seen in this race by far by Pogi) and a peak Van Aert in Roubaix who took 30 seconds on what seemed like 1 km on Carrefour d'Labre on the rest of the field. These are extraordinary riders and not your Kristoff, Degenkolbs, Terpstras etc. of this world.

Boonen in 2012 was much different IMO
 
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Red Rick

Red Rick

Feb 20, 2012
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Gigs_98 said:
It's really weird. He just won two of the first three monuments of the season and finished the other one in 2nd, yet it really didn't feel like he was any stronger than in previous years. He got dropped in his natural playground, the ronde, for the first time since 2019, he won Roubaix but got insanely lucky with a van Aert puncture and the only race where he really shone was in MSR. And while that was one hell of a win, it was 100% made possible by Pogacar playing leadout man for him. I really don't know how to feel about his classics season. It's a bit like Boonen in 2012 where the results had never been better but it didn't actually feel like we were watching him at his very best.

I guess that's cycling for you and he will gladly take it. But especially compared to van Aert he has really maxed out his classics potential recently.
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This is basically the same logic by which Pogacar wasn't his best at the Tour last year. And in 2022 Van der Poel barely hung on to Pog in Vlaanderen in the first place.
 
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jaylew

jaylew

Mar 19, 2009
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Red Rick said:
Losing a sprint to Philipsen, who has not contributed since Carrefour is evidence of a H2H sprint with MvdP?
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No, and no guarantee he would have won it but a Roubaix sprint is the kind of sprint he beats Wout in more often that not. A shortish sprint starting from a lower speed where his initial acceleration comes into play, particularly after hard racing.
 
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Gigs_98

Gigs_98

Feb 18, 2015
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Red Rick said:
This is basically the same logic by which Pogacar wasn't his best at the Tour last year. And in 2022 Van der Poel barely hung on to Pog in Vlaanderen in the first place.
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Yeah, saying he wasn't at his best was probably the wrong way to put it. I guess what I'm trying to say is that his wins this year didn't really feel sustainable. I don't think he'll be my number one favorite for MSR next year and my takeaway from today is that van Aert is probably my favorite for PR 2024.
It's just that this isn't quite on the 2010 Cancellara level of classic seasons that it looks like on paper.
 
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jaylew

jaylew

Mar 19, 2009
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He could always add some lower tier stuff, E3, G-W, Omloop... even a Tour points jersey if he ever decided to try for it though that would be a tough ask considering he doesn't usually participate in the bunch sprints.
 
Andy schleck

Andy schleck

Jul 18, 2020
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JosefK said:
Is this now the best version of Mathieu that we have seen over the years? (Factoring in cyclocross, as well.)
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Yes, it's the best version of mathieu. He was the most stronger man on MSR, beat the record of poggio, he was barely beat by a monstruous performance by pogacar on tour flandres in a race where he lost some energy in the beggining of the race that could missed in the end, and he was the stronger man on Paris Roubaix. He started his attacks 70 km from the finish line, he was always pushing in the front of the group.
 
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B

Big Doopie

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Oct 6, 2009
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rallybanana said:
The last rider to podium Flanders, Roubaix and Liege in the same season was Adrie van der Poel in 1986. On this form Mathieu should have a crack at Liege and try to equal his father's record.
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Interesting.

I have posted this elsewhere. In 1975…

Merckx won MSR, RVV and LBL and was second at PR by half a wheel to DeVlaeminck (after puncturing 7 kms from the finish).

Merckx also won Amstel that year.

All in the the rainbow stripes.
 
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Extinction

Extinction

Jan 8, 2020
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Gigs_98 said:
It's really weird. He just won two of the first three monuments of the season and finished the other one in 2nd, yet it really didn't feel like he was any stronger than in previous years. He got dropped in his natural playground, the ronde, for the first time since 2019, he won Roubaix but got insanely lucky with a van Aert puncture and the only race where he really shone was in MSR. And while that was one hell of a win, it was 100% made possible by Pogacar playing leadout man for him. I really don't know how to feel about his classics season. It's a bit like Boonen in 2012 where the results had never been better but it didn't actually feel like we were watching him at his very best.

I guess that's cycling for you and he will gladly take it. But especially compared to van Aert he has really maxed out his classics potential recently.
Click to expand...
Have to disagree too: in MSR he went over Pog on the Poggio with alarming prowess, got out-gunned only by a top Tour de France winner on the OK in Flanders (but fought till the end), to then yesterday in the fastest Paris-Roubaix ever absolutely drill it over and over again until the elastic finally broke on Mons-en-Pevele (the way he navigated certain curves on the pavè was insane, because he was flying into, through, and out of them). Did you see him almost disastrously clip one of those plastic blockers to prevent riders from riding the tarmac border on the last cobbled section? He was still carrying speed till the end. I don't think without the flat Wout would have beaten him. No, his performance yesterday was one for the record books.
 
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tobydawq

tobydawq

Nov 16, 2013
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Gigs_98 said:
It's really weird. He just won two of the first three monuments of the season and finished the other one in 2nd, yet it really didn't feel like he was any stronger than in previous years. He got dropped in his natural playground, the ronde, for the first time since 2019, he won Roubaix but got insanely lucky with a van Aert puncture and the only race where he really shone was in MSR. And while that was one hell of a win, it was 100% made possible by Pogacar playing leadout man for him. I really don't know how to feel about his classics season. It's a bit like Boonen in 2012 where the results had never been better but it didn't actually feel like we were watching him at his very best.

I guess that's cycling for you and he will gladly take it. But especially compared to van Aert he has really maxed out his classics potential recently.
Click to expand...

Uh, how can you not feel that this is the best Van der Poel we saw? Because he didn't have to come back from behind like in Flanders and Amstel in 2019? I don't really get it...
 
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K

Kwaremonster

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According to his dad he should be able to win Liege. And ofcourse the one time he did compete he finished sixth, not good enough to go with the best, but close, after emptying himself on the beneluxtour the day before. However I still don't see it unless he's up there when both Evenepoel and Pogacar run into bad luck..

His dad seemed to indicate that for Lombardy a course change would be required.

Ofcourse this is all forumtalk anyway because Mathieu himself said he is not thinking about winning all 5.
 
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