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

[Sciatic]

And only four monuments were raced in 2020.

That doesn't really diminish the main point though--he raced what he could race.

 

[tobydawq]

That doesn't really diminish the main point though--he raced what he could race.

He skipped Worlds for some stupid reason.

 

[Berniece]

Nice article on the best 1 day rider of the peloton. It’s in Dutch.

Met Einstein en een Schotse puzzel in het achterhoofd: is dit de beste Mathieu van der Poel ooit? | sporza

Wie kans wil maken op de prijs voor de originaliteit, zal zijn chips zondag niet inzetten op Mathieu van der Poel. De Nederlander is een van de superfavorieten voor de Ronde van Vlaanderen, waar hij met een 4e zege alleen recordhouder kan worden. Een zoektocht naar waarom Van der Poel op zijn...

sporza.be

 

[AmRacer]

Nice article on the best 1 day rider of the peloton. It’s in Dutch.

Met Einstein en een Schotse puzzel in het achterhoofd: is dit de beste Mathieu van der Poel ooit? | sporza

Wie kans wil maken op de prijs voor de originaliteit, zal zijn chips zondag niet inzetten op Mathieu van der Poel. De Nederlander is een van de superfavorieten voor de Ronde van Vlaanderen, waar hij met een 4e zege alleen recordhouder kan worden. Een zoektocht naar waarom Van der Poel op zijn...

sporza.be

Second best

 

[James M]

This beast on the cobbles is a sight to behold. One for the ages, if not the best, then certainly one of the best—this man is a piece of art on the cobbles.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1777073959915126806

View: https://x.com/i/status/1777073959915126806

 

[Berniece]

Multiple views on why MVDP won’t be dropped and will win Sunday.

Waarom Mathieu van der Poel een aanval van Tadej Pogacar op de Oude Kwaremont kan pareren

Mathieu van der Poel en Tadej Pogačar zijn zondag de absolute topfavorieten voor de Ronde van Vlaanderen 2025, net zoals ze dat in Milaan-San Remo waren. In het eerste Monument van het jaar was de Nederlander nog de betere van de Sloveense wereldkampioen, alleen die laatste lijkt in het voordeel op

www.wielerflits.be

 

[topcat]

Multiple views on why MVDP won’t be dropped and will win Sunday.

Waarom Mathieu van der Poel een aanval van Tadej Pogacar op de Oude Kwaremont kan pareren

Mathieu van der Poel en Tadej Pogačar zijn zondag de absolute topfavorieten voor de Ronde van Vlaanderen 2025, net zoals ze dat in Milaan-San Remo waren. In het eerste Monument van het jaar was de Nederlander nog de betere van de Sloveense wereldkampioen, alleen die laatste lijkt in het voordeel op

www.wielerflits.be

It's all Dutch to me

 

[Bolder]

It's all Dutch to me

Google translate works OK for me.

I give some credence to Chris Horner's theory that it will benefit Pog if he stops working if he can't drop MvdP and a small group comes back.

Since he can't beat MvdP one-up, he's got a better chance in a group of 10 or so who are rolling attacks on MvdP on the run in.

 

[Medvind]

Google translate works OK for me.

I give some credence to Chris Horner's theory that it will benefit Pog if he stops working if he can't drop MvdP and a small group comes back.

Since he can't beat MvdP one-up, he's got a better chance in a group of 10 or so who are rolling attacks on MvdP on the run in.

Maybe he should, but sprinting after 270k in RVV is different than in MSR. If Pog senses that MVDP is really laboured in the end he will take his chances in a sprint, otherwise I agree, he should try something else like stop working.

 

[AmRacer]

Maybe he should, but sprinting after 270k in RVV is different than in MSR. If Pog senses that MVDP is really laboured in the end he will take his chances in a sprint, otherwise I agree, he should try something else like stop working.

Pogi tried that 2022 and he ended up at 4th in a sprint against Mathieu

 

[Medvind]

Just before Milan-San Remo, Bahrain Victorious team manager Aart Vierhouten said he had seen with his own eyes how Van der Poel trained last winter. “He used specific climbs in Spain for that. He trained his explosiveness less, I saw Mathieu working hard on 10-15 minute efforts. That is what he has to do when Tadej starts at the foot of the Oude Kwaremont and keeps that up until the top
of the Paterberg.”

After what happened in 2023 it was a no-brainer that MVDP would work on longer efforts, knowing that Pog can't drop him on shorter climbs only longer ones, and in Ronde that climb is Kwaremont. And if he is dropped he will not give up but believe he can bring Pog back before Paterberg.

MVDP is stronger than in 2023, that seems obvious, but so is Pog. So it's hard to really know if MVDP can match Pog or not.

 

[Medvind]

Pogi tried that 2022 and he ended up at 4th in a sprint against Mathieu

Like I said, he will take his chances if he feels strong and senses that MVDP is laboured. Maybe it's 30-70 then, but that is better than letting a group of 5-6 riders back with van Aert and Pedersen in it.

 

[AmRacer]

Like I said, he will take his chances if he feels strong and senses that MVDP is laboured. Maybe it's 30-70 then, but that is better than letting a group of 5-6 riders back with van Aert and Pedersen in it.

AgainstWind, two ifs. What if Mathieu isn't exhausted then? Letting others catch up?

 

[LookProGoSlow]

If tomorrow turns into the expected Mano-a-mano I see him drain Tadej's confidence and legs by staying glued to his wheel and then deal the final blow himself by dropping Tadej, instead of the much expected, Tadej dropping him.

 

[Salvarani]

If tomorrow turns into the expected Mano-a-mano I see him drain Tadej's confidence and legs by staying glued to his wheel and then deal the final blow himself by dropping Tadej, instead of the much expected, Tadej dropping him.

Should/will probably be his race strategy, which is basically the same as MSR.

However, you would expect MVDP to be a little more aggressive since these are the races where almost his whole legacy on the road is. The cobbles and especially Ronde. A lot of people see him as the best classics rider and cobbles there has ever been... his tactic is to wheelsuck Pog? It doesnt really make sense to me. Should be the other way around if true in this race.

 

[Froome]

If tomorrow turns into the expected Mano-a-mano I see him drain Tadej's confidence and legs by staying glued to his wheel and then deal the final blow himself by dropping Tadej, instead of the much expected, Tadej dropping him.

Tomorrow things will be different.

1- Van der poel is way more stronger now than in 2023.

2- In 2023 van der poel was still dealing with back issues.

3-He will not underestimate pogacar this time, and spend unnecessary energy in unnecessary attacks.

4-He had some bad luck in 2023 were also lost energy like when the chain dropped.

 

[YavorD]

1- Van der poel is way more stronger now than in 2023.

2- In 2023 van der poel was still dealing with back issues.

His back issues were so serious that in 2023 he destroyed Pogacar in San Remo. He tried the same this year, Pogacar responded.
If we use San Remo as a reference, Pogacar improved more compared to Van Der Poel.

It's true, however, that his position before Kwaremont 2 was horrible and he spent energy chasing back after a mechanical.

 

[Peyroteo94]

His back issues were so serious that in 2023 he destroyed Pogacar in San Remo. He tried the same this year, Pogacar responded.
If we use San Remo as a reference, Pogacar improved more compared to Van Der Poel.

It's true, however, that his position before Kwaremont 2 was horrible and he spent energy chasing back after a mechanical.

He was also relying on Laporte to close the gap to Pogacar (who had his nose to the wind).

 

[jono]

His back issues were so serious that in 2023 he destroyed Pogacar in San Remo. He tried the same this year, Pogacar responded.
If we use San Remo as a reference, Pogacar improved more compared to Van Der Poel.

It's true, however, that his position before Kwaremont 2 was horrible and he spent energy chasing back after a mechanical.

I don't think the San Remo comparison is particularly useful at all.

In 2023 San Remo, MVDP didn't put his nose in the wind at all until he made one single attack near the top of Poggio (after Wout closed a tiny gap for him). The gap he got from that attack was not much larger than the gap he got this year, it was just nearer the top so he was able to drop onto the descent before Pogacar could close.

I'd argue his San Remo performance this year was more impressive, but not really telling of what will happen tomorrow.

The question for me is if he has really improved his 10-15 minute efforts, as has been mentioned in a few articles already, or whether he will be dropped again on Kwaremont. I don't see any reason the gap between Pogacar and MVDP on these climbs will be any bigger than in 2023, but it will need to be quite a bit smaller for Mathieu to win.

 

[Froome]

He was also relying on Laporte to close the gap to Pogacar (who had his nose to the wind).

You are confusing with other race. What you are talking about, didn't happened on Tour Flandres 2023.

 

[Froome]

His back issues were so serious that in 2023 he destroyed Pogacar in San Remo. He tried the same this year, Pogacar responded.
If we use San Remo as a reference, Pogacar improved more compared to Van Der Poel.

It's true, however, that his position before Kwaremont 2 was horrible and he spent energy chasing back after a mechanical.

MSR is a different race. You don't need to be at 100% to win it. Nevertheless, obviously pogacar is better now.

The back issues is something van der poel talked about in 2023.

 

[YavorD]

MSR is a different race. You don't need to be at 100% to win it. Nevertheless, obviously pogacar is better now.

The back issues is something van der poel talked about in 2023.

I agree that MSR is a much different race, but it's the only point of h2h comparasion we have.

MVDP also said that RvV was one of his best days (until then of course) IIRC. I might be wrong on the latter.

 

[Peyroteo94]

I agree that MSR is a much different race, but it's the only point of h2h comparasion we have.

MVDP also said that RvV was one of his best days (until then of course) IIRC. I might be wrong on the latter.

You are right. 2023 is also his best season ever so he didn't have back issues at all and wasn't wasting any stupid energy before he got dropped the first time by Pogacar. He only came back thanks to Laporte and WVA. This year he will have the same luck.

 

[Didinho]

Tomorrow things will be different.

1- Van der poel is way more stronger now than in 2023.

2- In 2023 van der poel was still dealing with back issues.

3-He will not underestimate pogacar this time, and spend unnecessary energy in unnecessary attacks.

4-He had some bad luck in 2023 were also lost energy like when the chain dropped.

He was also too focused on riding hard after Wout dropped, to let him stay behind. And wasn’t it also the year Alpecin was pushing 30km when the peloton broke in half? A lot of unnecessary effort/mental thing. He will ride smarter tomorrow, plus he’s stronger.
I think it will be evenly matched, so tactics can play a bigger role.

 

[jono]

You are right. 2023 is also his best season ever so he didn't have back issues at all and wasn't wasting any stupid energy before he got dropped the first time by Pogacar. He only came back thanks to Laporte and WVA. This year he will have the same luck.

True, to a point, but spring 2023 wasn't as strong as spring 2024, for example. He was coming off a middling CX season, barely beat Wout at worlds, won San Remo with a single attack and built his gap on the descent, lost Flanders, and won Roubaix, but only dropping the group with a combo of crash, Wout attack and Wout mechanical.

The best stretch we've seen from Mathieu is Worlds 2023 through Roubaix 2024. Even Liege 2024 was an impressive result given the type of rider he is. It remains to be seen if this spring will match that level.