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

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He doesn't like to race grand tours and he can't be bothered to arrive in shape for them since he has already won a yellow jersey the first week of the Tour a few years back. He's already checked that box of his "To Do" list.
Agreed but he may have sponsorship obligations. Even a solid week of the Tour with a stage win is more publicity than a whole season of VTT for Alpecin.
 
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Just thinking the contrast between VDP's amazing season in the world champion's stripes - back-to- back Classics wins and led out his teammate to win a third (and 3 Tour stages)... and the lack of attention and prase he is getting for it. I guess Pog has taken all the oxygen, but VDP burned so very bright the first half of this year.
 
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Just thinking the contrast between VDP's amazing season in the world champion's stripes - back-to- back Classics wins and led out his teammate to win a third (and 3 Tour stages)... and the lack of attention and prase he is getting for it. I guess Pog has taken all the oxygen, but VDP burned so very bright the first half of this year.
It is logical that Pogacar is getting most of the attention, but VDP definitely had a great season. Second best in my book.
 
It is logical that Pogacar is getting most of the attention, but VDP definitely had a great season. Second best in my book.
Agree. Def a good season from Mvdp. Flandern and Robauix was exceptional performances and after that he rode on away circuit so to speak all the way pretty much (not his ideal terrain)

Still a podium in Liege was impressive and did a nice WC aswell while the parcour wasnt ideal for him. Betwen Evenepoel and Mvdp for me could give it to either one of em and I wouldnt object.
 
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Agree. Def a good season from Mvdp. Flandern and Robauix was exceptional performances and after that he rode on away circuit so to speak all the way pretty much (not his ideal terrain)

Still a podium in Liege was impressive and did a nice WC aswell while the parcour wasnt ideal for him. Betwen Evenepoel and Mvdp for me could give it to either one of em and I wouldnt object.
I think VDP had the second-best season. I tend to look at big race wins, and I rate his Rvv and Roubaix double higher than the olympic road and tt race and the world tt.
 
It seems MvdP never regained his Flanders/PR form after taking a long break mid-season. The moral of the story is don't take too much time off the bike during mid-season break.

Regarding his Flanders/PR wins, he's lucky Pog wasn't on the starting line for either race. :D
I think he had a very similar form at the WC. If you see how he raced on a much harder profile. Doubt Pogacar would’ve been able to do anything during Flanders or Roubaix
 
Agree to disagree then. Pogacar has never shown to me that he’s technically gifted enough to follow MVDP on wet uphill cobbles
Pogacar powered away from Mvdp and an entire peloton, belgian and holland team for 100km with pure power and you expect Mvdp to beat him in flandern cause the cobbles are wet?

He might be better tenchnically gifted there but power is still power. I love Mvdp hes a freak but you shoulda seen enough to not cook/reach like that imo:sweatsmile:
 
Pogacar powered away from Mvdp and an entire peloton, belgian and holland team for 100km with pure power and you expect Mvdp to beat him in flandern cause the cobbles are wet?

He might be better tenchnically gifted there but power is still power. I love Mvdp hes a freak but you shoulda seen enough to not cook/reach like that imo:sweatsmile:
Pogacar wasn’t in the same form during that period this year.
 
Pogacar wasn’t in the same form during that period this year.
He was still terrestrial. I just think its a reach bro.

Love Mvdp he is a all time great especially in flandern/robauix better than Boonen/Fabian even for me, hes a absolutely monster but Pog already ridden away from him and 24 Pog is like something weve never seen before.
Love the faith though still think its reaching personally.

You might be right though who knows I wouldnt be confident to put a single dollar on it though.
 
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They have never raced it, but I'm confident Pogi would've dropped Mathieu.
On wet & slippery cobbles it's unlikely....MvdP knows how to ride in slippery conditions - it's not just power, it's how you put it down, and MvdP isn't a multi time CX World Champion for no reason.

Considering lots of riders had to dismount, it's not guaranteed Pogacar would have had no issues either.

I know Pogacar is good, but come on; are we going to start saying he could beat MvdP in CX next?
 
On wet & slippery cobbles it's unlikely....MvdP knows how to ride in slippery conditions - it's not just power, it's how you put it down, and MvdP isn't a multi time CX World Champion for no reason.

Considering lots of riders had to dismount, it's not guaranteed Pogacar would have had no issues either.

I know Pogacar is good, but come on; are we going to start saying he could beat MvdP in CX next?
On flat cobbles you are right but on cobbled hills, you need even more power to surpass those hills and Pogacar is a better w/kg rider than MVP. I have a hard time seeing MVP able to follow Pogacar in Koppenberg or Kwaremont.
 
He was still terrestrial. I just think its a reach bro.

Love Mvdp he is a all time great especially in flandern/robauix better than Boonen/Fabian even for me, hes a absolutely monster but Pog already ridden away from him and 24 Pog is like something weve never seen before.
Love the faith though still think its reaching personally.

You might be right though who knows I wouldnt be confident to put a single dollar on it though.
I’ve only seen Pogacar beat MVDP at Flanders once, and as we know MVDP was able to get to a better form at WC’23 and this years spring. I can imagine Pogacar beating MVDP in his current form though, but not how he was riding in spring.

Pogacar is just a god in wet conditions. He was bronze in Glasgow because it was raining. He was in awful shape.
He came 3rd more than 2min behind MVDP. No clue why he would be in awful shape, he was 3rd. The course wasn’t suited to him.
 
I’ve only seen Pogacar beat MVDP at Flanders once, and as we know MVDP was able to get to a better form at WC’23 and this years spring. I can imagine Pogacar beating MVDP in his current form though, but not how he was riding in spring.


He came 3rd more than 2min behind MVDP. No clue why he would be in awful shape, he was 3rd. The course wasn’t suited to him.
But a 80% Pogacar is still better than everyone else bar 2 or 3 riders