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

[Peyroteo94]

I don't like where his career is going. On the road, he looks more and more like a one trick pony, only is dominant in cobbled classics.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

I fear MvdP will end up like Peter Sagan, in the later days of his career, if he keeps doing the races his sponsors want him to do. He needs the freedom to choose his own schedule to keep things fresh and interesting for him.

Which is what Pidcock is trying to do - keep it fresh by mixing things up. MvdP once said something similar; but maybe he can't anymore. Maybe there'll be a change when the rainbow bands have gone.......

 

[kingjr]

I don't like where his career is going. On the road, he looks more and more like a one trick pony, only is dominant in cobbled classics.

But that's what he has always been? A rider who excels at cobbled classics and classics with several short hills? Where else is he supposed to go from here?

 

[MJR]

Considering he's got six monuments and a Worlds jersey vs one monument to his eternal rival Wout, I'd say his career is going just fine.

Thankfully, we're past the "if he lost some weight, could he win a GT?" stupidity that comes from writers who only follow cycling for three weeks in July.

 

[Peter von]

I don't like where his career is going. On the road, he looks more and more like a one trick pony, only is dominant in cobbled classics.

Aside from the whole cyclocross thing.

Where else could his career go?
He is also doing better in Amstel and MSR than cobbles guys usually does.

Winning Tour of Denmark isn’t really moving the needle on his Palmares. Even Vuelta stage hunting seems almost beneath his levels.

He won the worlds last year, that was pretty neat.

I guess he could do more at the Tour. He has only in glimpses shown the Tour-only audience what he can do.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Considering he's got six monuments and a Worlds jersey vs one monument to his eternal rival Wout, I'd say his career is going just fine.

Thankfully, we're past the "if he lost some weight, could he win a GT?" stupidity that comes from writers who only follow cycling for three weeks in July.

As we speak MVP is the reigning champion of 3 big one-day races (WC, Flandres, Roubaix) vs Pog's 2 (Liege, Lombardy), Remco's 1 (Olympics) and Wout's 0. He's doing way more than fine! A classics legend already with the potential to grow even more.

 

[Valanga]

Considering he's got six monuments and a Worlds jersey vs one monument to his eternal rival Wout, I'd say his career is going just fine.

Thankfully, we're past the "if he lost some weight, could he win a GT?" stupidity that comes from writers who only follow cycling for three weeks in July.

That's not the point though, is it?

His palmares is way better than Wout's, there is no denying in that. If MvdP would retire right now he'd still be one of the all time greats.

But, while Van Aert is competing in bunch sprints, classics, TT's and even mountain stages, Van der Poel's only focus on the road is not-too-hilly classics - and obviously winning a lot of those. You might like that, or you might prefer him to be more versatile ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Yes, MvdP did not have his spring cycling fitness. If he did, he would have been able to bridge up to Remco without help. Kudos to Remco for his two Gold medals!

What version of vdP was ever going to bridge to Evenepoel solo? The moment Evenepoel has 30s, you can put Pogi and Matje on a tandem and still the race would be over.

 

[Coffeeplanter]

Going by his girlfriend Instagram, looks like he is on holidays (doing some waterskiing) so Vuelta maybe not likely.

Much, much deserved rest. The man has raced an unfathomable amount of 29 days this season and just spent the entire Tour de France sitting in the grupetto, I can imagine he is exhausted.

This comment is brought to you by sarcasm.

 

[Blanco]

That's not the point though, is it?

His palmares is way better than Wout's, there is no denying in that. If MvdP would retire right now he'd still be one of the all time greats.

But, while Van Aert is competing in bunch sprints, classics, TT's and even mountain stages, Van der Poel's only focus on the road is not-too-hilly classics - and obviously winning a lot of those. You might like that, or you might prefer him to be more versatile ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

He's as versatile as he is, on the road, aka not so much. He just simply is a classics rider, and a damn good one.

 

[proffate]

But, while Van Aert is competing in bunch sprints, classics, TT's and even mountain stages, Van der Poel's only focus on the road is not-too-hilly classics - and obviously winning a lot of those. You might like that, or you might prefer him to be more versatile ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

yea I really prefer my heroes to lose in a wide variety of disciplines

 

[KZD]

Aside from the whole cyclocross thing.

Where else could his career go?
He is also doing better in Amstel and MSR than cobbles guys usually does.

Winning Tour of Denmark isn’t really moving the needle on his Palmares. Even Vuelta stage hunting seems almost beneath his levels.

He won the worlds last year, that was pretty neat.

I guess he could do more at the Tour. He has only in glimpses shown the Tour-only audience what he can do.

I don't think Vuelta stage hunting is beneath his levels, if he wins a stage there he will become a stage winner in all three Grand Tours which is pretty nice.

This year I hope that he prepares the World title defence in Zürich. Obviously, odds are against him against Pogačar and Remco but its an easier course than Liège for instance.

Then another goal for him could be the gravel Worlds but I do expect his main career focus to remain in the cobbled classics where he is already one of the greats.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

If I had won Flanders + roubaix and just finished tour de France + Olympics, I would definitely be going to party and jet skiing with my hot girlfriend instead of going to try and win a couple Mickey mouse vuelta stage wins in 40 degrees heat which will add nothing to my legacy.

That's just me though, no hate please

At the same time, I would probably want to do plenty of races in the rainbow jersey whilst I had it. I would want to honor it ...

 

[saunaking]

If I had won Flanders + roubaix and just finished tour de France + Olympics, I would definitely be going to party and jet skiing with my hot girlfriend instead of going to try and win a couple Mickey mouse vuelta stage wins in 40 degrees heat which will add nothing to my legacy.

That's just me though, no hate please

At the same time, I would probably want to do plenty of races in the rainbow jersey whilst I had it. I would want to honor it ...

Lance Armstrong in the house!

 

[tobydawq]

If I had won Flanders + roubaix and just finished tour de France + Olympics, I would definitely be going to party and jet skiing with my hot girlfriend instead of going to try and win a couple Mickey mouse vuelta stage wins in 40 degrees heat which will add nothing to my legacy.

That's just me though, no hate please

At the same time, I would probably want to do plenty of races in the rainbow jersey whilst I had it. I would want to honor it ...

Wouldn't they just be regular Vuelta stages?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I don't like where his career is going. On the road, he looks more and more like a one trick pony, only is dominant in cobbled classics.

bit harsch, he was also 3rd in LBL with another weight class. also 6th in lbl before, won agr, won benelux tour, won belgium tour, won tour of great britain.. realistically all stage races he can win as classics rider.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

What version of vdP was ever going to bridge to Evenepoel solo? The moment Evenepoel has 30s, you can put Pogi and Matje on a tandem and still the race would be over.

yeah this is bs, VDP was in great form, he even said so himself. Had the legs he needed. He was just tactically outclassed. He can't win a 2vs1 against van Aert+Evenepoel. He could never shadow both. And he can't close a 40s gap to either of them

 

[dazaau]

yeah this is bs, VDP was in great form, he even said so himself. Had the legs he needed. He was just tactically outclassed. He can't win a 2vs1 against van Aert+Evenepoel. He could never shadow both. And he can't close a 40s gap to either of them

The question is if he was that good why did the Peloton catch him in the first place, and Belgium weren't pulling either. Usually he goes and they don't see him again, esp with an elite group like he had.

I don't think he was on the spring classics level.

 

[Ricco']

The question is if he was that good why did the Peloton catch him in the first place, and Belgium weren't pulling either. Usually he goes and they don't see him again, esp with an elite group like he had.

I don't think he was on the spring classics level.

I don't think the race was very selective until Montmartre. The bunch was small but that's because only two thirds of the originally short bunch were of any level whatsoever. The pace was of a sportive for most of the day, if we had an infernal pace from the gun, it would be harder to close the gap of his initial attack. Ronde is usually much more intensive until the race is opened and even in MSR they have a hard Cipressa in the legs when they reach the Poggio.

 

[dazaau]

I don't think the race was very selective until Montmartre. The bunch was small but that's because only two thirds of the originally short bunch were of any level whatsoever. The pace was of a sportive for most of the day, if we had an infernal pace from the gun, it would be harder to close the gap of his initial attack. Ronde is usually much more intensive until the race is opened and even in MSR they have a hard Cipressa in the legs when they reach the Poggio.

Yes for sure that would have made a difference. No team and no one else pushing hard all day.

 

[Didinho]

This was just 1 hill push. In the classics you’ve got other hills short afterwards and you can’t recover. This parcours was not selective enough.
He even thought that group of 7-8 would be gone for the win because it was a strong group of riders.

I don’t think he’ll do the Vuelta. Everyone forgot he also did CX before. Or maybe do 2 weeks to get some races before the Worlds, but that race will be too hard for him.

 

[rghysens]

So, what is his next target? Vuelta? Is another GT really what he wants? Worlds would seem too hilly for him....

Cx, probably. If not, spring classics next year.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

yeah this is bs, VDP was in great form, he even said so himself. Had the legs he needed. He was just tactically outclassed. He can't win a 2vs1 against van Aert+Evenepoel. He could never shadow both. And he can't close a 40s gap to either of them

On a good day, i wouldn't say it'd be impossible to bridge to Wout in a 1v1 (in case he plays it smarter than Wout did a few months ago). But there is simply nobody in the peloton who can bridge a 30s gap to Evenepoel 1v1 on mostly flat roads. Nobody.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

True.

Which it's why it's idiotic to not pay attention to Evenepoel when that group comes back. Every person on this forum knew it was the moment for Evenepoel to attack, yet apparently Mathieu van der Poel mainly seems to think it's bad luck/RNG.

Tbf, Evenepoel does have a knack to attack when everyone is on the limit and he has just a little bit extra in the tank. Mathieu probably went close to all out (only Wout followed), so he might have hoped somebody else would mark him.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

in general mathieu is banking too much on the big moment hills or sectors mostly. Drop them all with an attack and go. Or form an elite group, go and then go again.

He's vulnerable if they go inbetween moments just after the big attack. Showed in Gent Wevelgem when he had to chase all the different Lidl-Trek riders who did that. And it's also showing here again. He should rethink his tactics a bit. Everyone knows you are gonna accelerate on that 1km hill that is in the race.

In RVV next year this could be interesting. Where Vd Poel will be banking on kwaremont/paterberg/koppenberg... Remco might as well go just after on some flat or slightly uphill part without pave when they all sit up...