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

[senna6541]

I'm American and grew up in Horner's hometown (San Diego). Love Horner, and his race analysis is good (obviously he knows bike racing), but when it comes to "ranking" riders he's either completely delusional or just trolling at this point (pretty sure it's trolling). As a GT GC guy he has fantasies about having a freakishly talented classics/tt specialist like Wout waste his career to be a domestique for him - a way less talented, scrawny GC guy. I like Wout (was pulling for him today), but at this point it looks like he made a very bad decision hopping on the JV train. As for MVDP vs. Wout, it's been pretty clear over a very, very big sample size that MVDP is the superior bike racer when the criteria is actually winning bike races. As that fat Super Bowl winning football coach Bill Parcells once said, "You are what your record says you are".

 

[SHAD0W93]

I think Horner just sees a little bit of himself in Wout. Remember he was the second best climber in the world and had to work for others while WVA is the or one of the best across every discipline.

 

[Ripper]

I think Horner just sees a little bit of himself in Wout. Remember he was the second best climber in the world and had to work for others while WVA is the or one of the best across every discipline.

You might be on to something

 

[Peter von]

Such a strange decision by the UCI. An absolutely tiny % of people will be more motivated to watch the race because MVDP has been 'illegally' given a better start position. Are they hoping that more people will follow the sport if he wins? Which will be completely overshadowed by the subsequent controversy.

It was MVDP's decision to abandon MTB after the Olympics, and I doubt he's that happy about this ruling either?

UCI knows that if they want to encourage the big riders to do multiple disciplines.

They fear that if MVP starts dead last he just won’t do it again and they want the stars to do multiple disciplines.

 

[Red Rick]

UCI knows that if they want to encourage the big riders to do multiple disciplines.

They fear that if MVP starts dead last he just won’t do it again and they want the stars to do multiple disciplines.

"The stars" meaning just helping the road riders out.

 

[Monte Serra]

Mathieu's mountainbike career is cursed. He should focus completely on the road race for next year's Olympics. It's too big of a risk to participate in the mountainbike event, as it's scheduled before the road race.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

MvP needs to give up MTB. This crash might do it.
He was crumpled up there for a while.

 

[kingjr]

MvP needs to give up MTB. This crash might do it.
He was crumpled up there for a while.

Why does he need to "give up MTB"?

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Why does he need to "give up MTB"?

Two bad crashes in a row leading to two DNFs. Given his previous back problems, these are not helpful for his successful road career. Not everyone is Ferrand-Prevot.

 

[theyoungest]

Why does he need to "give up MTB"?

The crash in Tokyo nearly f.cked up his back for good, and we still have to wait to find out the results of today's crash. I think his team probably should, and will, say that maybe it's time to give up MTB. It's just too risky.

 

[kingjr]

Two bad crashes in a row leading to two DNFs. Given his previous back problems, these are not helpful for his successful road career. Not everyone is Ferrand-Prevot.

He's already had a successful road career.

He could have injured himself just as easily with his crash during the road race. In fact, the risk of serious injury on the road is probably at least as high as during MTB.

 

[theyoungest]

He's already had a successful road career.

He could have injured himself just as easily with his crash during the road race. In fact, the risk of serious injury on the road is probably at least as high as during MTB.

I've never seen Mathieu crash as hard on the road as he did in Tokyo, and today.

 

[samhocking]

Racing a bike involves crashing - a lot! It's part of the sport. MVDP crashed and won World RR, he crashed and didn't win World XCO, just how it goes, it involves a lot of good luck, so one day she's there on your shoulder the next day she's not. No need to give anything up. Just keep fighting.

 

[Peter von]

"The stars" meaning just helping the road riders out.

Yes. But I do not think they do this for Daniel Oss if he had asked.

 

[kingjr]

I've never seen Mathieu crash as hard on the road as he did in Tokyo, and today.

He didn't crash hard today, just landed awkwardly.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

We'll he's had a two bad crashes in Olympics and now MTB worlds, but of course it's his decision. I would like to see him race all disciplines, but as a fan, I'm much rather see him race some than none if he's recovering from MTB injuries (as he did post-Olympics crash).

 

[magliaroz]

I'm not an expert but could it be that the lack of practice in actual mtb races in the last 4 years (so not just training) made him lose his "feeling" with the discipline? Considering his talent, it's just too crazy to see him crash like that in two important races in a row.

 

[DaLong]

"The stars" meaning just helping the road riders out.

I mean, it's not their fault MTB has a problem in that your starting position already dictates your chance of winning. If Nino came over to road cycling it doesn't matter where he would start - the chance of winning would be dependent almost exclusively on his skill, his legs, and his team. Just seems to me road cycling is less flawed in that sense, and, I guess the finances and crowds also agree with that.

If road had something had that, would I see their point of view if Nino was bumped over teams like Uno-X and Corretec Selle-Italia, sure.

 

[kingjr]

I'm not an expert but could it be that the lack of practice in actual mtb races in the last 4 years (so not just training) made him lose his "feeling" with the discipline? Considering his talent, it's just too crazy to see him crash like that in two important races in a row.

His crash in Tokyo was the result of bad information, not bad skill.

 

[Sciatic]

Given how wasted Pog has looked after the road race and the generally poor performance in the ITT of the guys who rode their guts out in that race, perhaps MVDP wasn’t quite as mentally sharp as he normally would be and became prone to a lapse in concentration?

 

[magliaroz]

I mean, it's not their fault MTB has a problem in that your starting position already dictates your chance of winning. If Nino came over to road cycling it doesn't matter where he would start - the chance of winning would be dependent almost exclusively on his skill, his legs, and his team. Just seems to me road cycling is less flawed in that sense, and, I guess the finances and crowds also agree with that.

If road had something had that, would I see their point of view if Nino was bumped over teams like Uno-X and Corretec Selle-Italia, sure.

Said like a real roadie who doesn't care how other disciplines work.

His crash in Tokyo was the result of bad information, not bad skill.

Yeah, I was not talking about skills but about him not being used to be in an actual mtb race anymore.

 

[Peter von]

Given how wasted Pog has looked after the road race and the generally poor performance in the ITT of the guys who rode their guts out in that race, perhaps MVDP wasn’t quite as mentally sharp as he normally would be and became prone to a lapse in concentration?

Very plausible. Physically he can’t be on the edge so soon in the race. Obviously the stress of riding a different discipline doesn’t help either.

 

[DaLong]

Said like a real roadie who doesn't care how other disciplines work.


Yeah, I was not talking about skills but about him not being used to be in an actual mtb race anymore.

I mean, the needless personal jab aside, you're not wrong. I know how they work - I certainly don't care though. My tolerance for even diving into a MTB conversation is pretty much at it's limit - especially with MTB'ers who just made an account coming out of the woods defending their sport on a road forum.

I know starting position is based on points accumulated from other races, it's just that he has other commitments to prevent him from doing that.

Anyways, I am done discussing this on a road forum. Onwards to the Classics - heal up World Champ!

 

[kingjr]

Said like a real roadie who doesn't care how other disciplines work.


Yeah, I was not talking about skills but about him not being used to be in an actual mtb race anymore.

You said he lost his "feeling", I don't see how his crash in Tokyo has anything to do with "feeling".

 

[magliaroz]

I know starting position is based on points accumulated from other races, it's just that he has other commitments to prevent him from doing that.

Yeah, and since his commitment is not on mtb he doesn't deserve to start in the front of a mtb race, just like Nino does not deserve a top level team to support him on the road based on his accomplishments in mtb.

You said he lost his "feeling", I don't see how his crash in Tokyo has anything to do with "feeling".

Not because of the crash, but because of his lack of actual using a mountain bike at all outside of occasional training since 2019.