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

[velaso montador]

The difference between the two races -
Giro dell'Emilia (204km) last year Septemeber 30 when Roglic beat Pogacar

Stage 2 of the Tour this year - (199 km)

Not so many times up to San Luca and the finish is not at the top but after the descent back into Bologna.

Will be a interessting stage, a motivated MvdP i wouldnt put it past him tho. I agree its hard one. It is however explosive and its no secret what he can do there but you might be right its gonne be to hard, depends also on how its raced to some degree imo.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

What's the point of the photo?

Did they forget that he is World Champion, and therefore will never wear this in the race?

 

[Netserk]

We also saw Laporte in Visma-LAB's Tour jersey. Both he and MvdP will wear the team jersey in the ITTs.

The point is obvious.

 

[Unchained]

What's the point of the photo?

Did they forget that he is World Champion, and therefore will never wear this in the race?

Do they wear Carerra Jean when they get something to eat?

 

[stonerider]

I guess he is just using the Tour as a base camp to peak for the Olympic road race. He really enjoyed his mid-season break.

 

[Medvind]

I guess he is just using the Tour as a base camp to peak for the Olympic road race. He really enjoyed his mid-season break.

Yep, but he said he will try to win a stage. Guess stage 9 suits both MVDP and the team well.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I guess he is just using the Tour as a base camp to peak for the Olympic road race. He really enjoyed his mid-season break.

not really, he hoped to be better but
1) the stages were too hard anyway
2) got caught out by the heat. He usually needs a few days adapting to that.

Im sure we'll see him later in the tour

 

[senna6541]

Glad he wasn't caught up in that crash today and hope he manages to get through the tour with no damaging ones (and preferably none). Tear up stage 9 and stay healthy. Then tear everyone apart in Paris like in Glasgow. He's already got his stage and his yellow jersey. Nothing left to accomplish for someone of his ilk at this race. Get the Gold medal and keep piling up Monuments and WC jerseys - at least one of them being on the MTB. Crazy to think that by 2019 he was already regularly crushing a much younger Shurter than Piddy is dealing with now.

 

[stonerider]

Everyone will look to him in Paris. He is properly doing the exact same preperation as last year during this tour in terms of values they track, he found the blueprint for himself last year. Dont think anyone can do anything about him the guy is a animal.

With the minimal efforts he is delivering at the Tour, he should peak nicely for the Olympics. Lots of zone 2 with some HIIT efforts occasionally trying to lead out Jasper.

 

[Lequack]

He invented a new way to get on the bike

https://twitter.com/x/status/1808829277149741356

View: https://twitter.com/OutOfCycling/status/1808829277149741356

 

[scribers]

What’s the point of sending mvp into the scrum, risking the balance of his season or worse? It seemed worth it when they were hammering the finishes previously

 

[Bolder]

He invented a new way to get on the bike

https://twitter.com/x/status/1808829277149741356

View: https://twitter.com/OutOfCycling/status/1808829277149741356

I saw another rider do this in a stage this week after a mechanical. But this is much more fluid.

 

[AmRacer]

Whats higher ranked in cycling for guys like Van der Poe,had a argument with a buddy of mine about this.
Winning the WC RR in cycling and you get jersey and the tricolour forever with you even after you lose the jersey or the OL RR?

Mathieu is missing OG RR

 

[memyselfandI]

I think you get golden stripes forever too if you win OG roads..

 

[Valv.Piti]

Still too good to play buddy buddy with Phillipsen in the sprints and risk his biggest target

 

[Kaptain Kool]

I was more thinking in generel terms of rider of his statue. WC RR or OL RR what holds the most weight.

Which group is more prestigious? Or has more endorsement value?

• Group 1: Sagan, Vavlerde, Alaphilippe, Pedersen, Evenepoel
• Group 2: Van Avermaet, Carapaz

 

[senna6541]

Which group is more prestigious? Or has more endorsement value?

• Group 1: Sagan, Vavlerde, Alaphilippe, Pedersen, Evenepoel
• Group 2: Van Avermaet, Carapaz

MVDP's palmares are already far superior to these folks. As for endorsement value, I think he is pretty much set for life with the contract he signed recently.

 

[senna6541]

Still too good to play buddy buddy with Phillipsen in the sprints and risk his biggest target

Agree, and love the fact he is targeting and winning the biggest races that really count. But then again, he is a bike racer so you've got to race the bike. Definitely a lot of risk in the sprint scrum, but crashes can happen pretty much anywhere/anytime in road cycling - including in training where you can get plowed by a 3000+ pound vehicle...

 

[Kaptain Kool]

MVDP's palmares are already far superior to these folks. As for endorsement value, I think he is pretty much set for life with the contract he signed recently.

Yeah, that's not the point. The point is elite riders target and win the Worlds.
The Olympic Road Race gets random results, often won by second tier riders and the the riders remain second tier after winning it.

 

[meat puppet]

This millennium men's Olympic road race has been won by such second tier riders as Ulrich, Bettini, Sanchez, Vino, van Avermaet and Carapaz.

Yeah, there may be more randomness involved in the Olympic road races than some WC races, but IMO the second tier argument just does not cut it.

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

This millennium men's Olympic road race has been won by such second tier riders as Ulrich, Bettini, Sanchez, Vino, van Avermaet and Carapaz.

Yeah, there may be more randomness involved in the Olympic road races than some WC races, but IMO the second tier argument just does not cut it.

Agreed. IIRC, many great riders targeted the last two OG. van Avermet was not exactly random but also he won in large part because Nibali crashed at a bad time. Nibali would give that a very different look, no? Also, Alaphilippe got fourth, so it’s not like he wasn’t there going for it.

Carapaz won last OG with a bold, unexpected attack. He beat Wout and Pogacar to win it. They’re not random riders, and they badly wanted it.

Honestly, I think often riders target OG / WC based on the fit of the parcours for their skill set.

 

[Kwaremonster]

An Olympic gold medal is special in any discipline, even if most people forget who won what a week later. But I would say in cycling the world's rr is definately more prestigious. Its just that he wants to win what he hasn't jet and the parcours of the olympics is perfect for him.

I do think he also badly wants another tour stage in the WC jersey too though. Hopefully he goes for it today already. In my opinion just the one stage win is not really enough for a rider of his calibre. Cycling fans know how good he is, it's nice if the general public also sees it every now and then.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Yeah, that's not the point. The point is elite riders target and win the Worlds.
The Olympic Road Race gets random results, often won by second tier riders and the the riders remain second tier after winning it.

Greg van Avermaet was absolutely NOT second tier.

 

[meat puppet]

Nibali might be a notch above GVA, but him winning the Rio gold would not change the argument in my mind.

On the WC side the 2011 route and champion do beg the question though.

 

[Wyndbrook]

Perhaps the wrong week to mention 2011.