Honestly, i find it a bit offensive to other riders, as well as to Mathieu himself, that some people (let's be honest, most sane people aren't) are still wondering or thinking he would/should be able to be a GT/GC rider, based on the info that we have. As if it's that easy. As if he wouldn't have to change his style, physique, training method, schedule, attitude etc completely, as if he wouldn't have to give up a large part of what makes him special "now" (being (among) the best in different disciplines). And based on what info? For guys like Evenepoel and Pogacar it's been a recurring question "but can he do it on a longer climb"... "can he do it against a stronger field"... "3 weeks in a row" etc... But for Mathieu, who gets dropped 5k from the finish on a 7k climb, it should be no problem. Or, at least, he should drop everything he loves (CX, XC, classics, his freedom...) just to try and see.
The media is to blame as well. Yesterday the guys of Eurosport were actually talking about if it would be possible that that stage would be the stage were he was going to try to win. Because he was allowed one stage to do his thing (by his team manager). Before Amstel (which ironically, he won), the interview with Nelissen i think it was, on NOS was all about "how it would be possible for him NOT to win". Basically, there was no way he could not win. In this, the Dutch media are just as bad as Belgian media.
It's amazing how people would still try and change a near perfect athlete. It's almost like trying to turn a 400 meter worldchampion who also does well in 1000 meter races, into a marathon runner.