The "MVP" Mathieu Van der Poel Road Discussion Thread

[fuiers]

There was talk about TDF next year, and that they would not even let the Olympics get in the way of that, if they managed to get invited.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mathieu-van-der-poels-alpecin-fenix-top-latest-europe-tour-ranking/ this obviously seems like good news for their team.

 

[yaco]

Doubt they will ride the TDF with MVP focusing on the 2021 Olympics - The Vuelta is the most likely option.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

He royalle *** up and he knows it. He says it himself. He's thrown away a 100% win here. He's much faster than Alaf (sorry alaf fans). he just blew it by letting himself get boxed in

 

[Ricco']

Doubt they will ride the TDF with MVP focusing on the 2021 Olympics - The Vuelta is the most likely option.

If Alpecin goes to the Tour de France next year (and they will most likely will, given the last UCI rankings and the races that are left on the calendar), I'm willing to put my money on the line and say that Mathieu is going to be on the startline of the Tour and that he is going to miss Tokyo 2021 and postpone the olympic goals to Paris 2024. Just a feeling I have.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

If Alpecin goes to the Tour de France next year (and they will most likely will, given the last UCI rankings and the races that are left on the calendar), I'm willing to put my money on the line and say that Mathieu is going to be on the startline of the Tour and that he is going to miss Tokyo 2021 and postpone the olympic goals to Paris 2024. Just a feeling I have.

They basically said as much last week.

 

[tobydawq]

Yeah, it would begin to become a bit ridiculous to focus so much on a single MTB-event. I may be a bigger fan of the Olympics than Zinoviev Letter but there is a limit.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Yeah, it would begin to become a bit ridiculous to focus so much on a single MTB-event. I may be a bigger fan of the Olympics than Zinoviev Letter but there is a limit.

Well, the other Poel is also forfeiting the TDF in favor of the Olympic RR + ITT. Sure, those are two events, but still. If it's a dream that only happens once every 4 years... I can certainly understand the dilemma.

 

[tobydawq]

Yes, but that's in a real sport, not a pixie sport.

 

[BlueRoads]

It's a case where everyone has to set their own priorities, I guess. Some people are huge fan of the Olympics (me, for instance...) and it's a childhood's dream, for others it's just one among many important races and then the Tour is just way bigger for a cyclist.
I'm just glad if the athletes can decide that pretty much for themselves, if it's not the teams and sponsors who decide this, because although that's fair in financial terms, it's very unromantic.

 

[Keram]

The outstanding favourite for de Ronde for me. Van Aert a bit below since he should be over the edge of his peak by now. Imagine the two of them dropping the rest of the field on the Paterberg and riding together to the finish. That would be a dream for every cx fan and it's far from an unlikely scenario.

I might forget someone because it's such an odd year, but who's going to challenge them? Quick Step isn't looking strong so far at all for the cobbles, for their standards.

With Sagan at the Giro and GVA injured I really dont know. They will be head and shoulders above everyone. I think MVDP could drop Wout on last Paterberg. I would really love to see Sagan on par with them at the spring 2021 but I am not sure if he can bounce back.

 

[tobydawq]

With Sagan at the Giro and GVA injured I really dont know. They will be head and shoulders above everyone. I think MVDP could drop Wout on last Paterberg. I would really love to see Sagan on par with them at the spring 2021 but I am not sure if he can bounce back.

I think it's very optimistic to think Sagan can get on par with those two, I'm afraid.

 

[Bolder]

I really can't see how A-F would ride the Tour w/o VDP vs the Olympics. That's 21 days of sponsor exposure, plus a likely big stage win or 3. The Olympics -- in a bad time period probably b/c of Tokyo, is just an hour in VDP in a national MTB jersey.

Anyway, bummer about yesterday but it seemed to be a case of Alaf's karma vs VDP's karma. and both will have plenty more big wins.

 

[Keram]

I think it's very optimistic to think Sagan can get on par with those two, I'm afraid.

Prime Sagan defininitely would be there with them on De Ronde. I dont think he can be that good anymore but it is my dream.

 

[Ripper]

I really can't see how A-F would ride the Tour w/o VDP vs the Olympics. That's 21 days of sponsor exposure, plus a likely big stage win or 3. The Olympics -- in a bad time period probably b/c of Tokyo, is just an hour in VDP in a national MTB jersey.

Anyway, bummer about yesterday but it seemed to be a case of Alaf's karma vs VDP's karma. and both will have plenty more big wins.

Yup, at the end this is a business and the business model AF has adopted would really require MvdP to race the Tour if it is on the table.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

no PR. Well then... most of his goals have been cancelled by covid19. MTB WC, Olympics MTB, AGR, Roubaix.

Plus half the CX season already has been cancelled.

 

[KZD]

no PR. Well then... most of his goals have been cancelled by covid19. MTB WC, Olympics MTB, AGR, Roubaix.

Plus half the CX season already has been cancelled.

The MTB WC were not cancelled although most of the season was.

I just hope that there will be a CX WC this winter and the spring classics are not postponed again.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

The MTB Worlds are this weekend....and the conditions would likely have suited him.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

yeah ok, but now it conflicts more with his road schedule than it normally would have

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1314510421928423426

View: https://twitter.com/mathieuvdpoel/status/1314510421928423426

 

[senna6541]

Dumb move by Wout to call MVDP, of all people, out. Wout's always taken the safe route - joins a superteam in JV, races conservatively, etc., and then calls out the ultimate maverick who's made a living out of kicking his a__? MVDP is going to destroy him at RVV.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Dumb move by Wout to call MVDP, of all people, out. Wout's always taken the safe route - joins a superteam in JV, races conservatively, etc., and then calls out the ultimate maverick who's made a living out of kicking his a__? MVDP is going to destroy him at RVV.

lol. Van Aert was 100% correct. Mathieu once again rode a very dumb race, doing too much work too soon. Then in the finale he reacted every time van Aert attacked, but not when others attacked. When there was a chance to work with van Aert, he didn't take it and let the others get back. Tactically, Mathieu has a lot of work to do. By riding that way, he was only killing off himself and making sure he had 0% chance at winning, the exact opposite of what he was claiming. I think the Quickstep guys, Pedersen, Bettiol were all having a blast to have such a good domestique working for them. As for your fanboy drivel, i'm sure van Aert is perfectly happy with his palmares and wouldn't want to trade with van der Poel.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Like I said in the GW thread think flat finals are very difficult for him to win with so many riders. If it was a small group of 4/5 it would be more likely to end in a sprint. Now he had to make choices and as I feared he did too much, and ofcourse he reacts to Van Aert, because if you give Van Aert 1mm he wins. The others were never going to close that down.... sorry.

That being said, RVV will suit him a lot better and I hope he can win it.. otherwise it will be a pretty 'meh' road season for him with only BB Tour + 1 Tirreno stage + Dutch CH (with the weakest field in years). Not what he would have hoped for.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Like I said in the GW thread think flat finals are very difficult for him to win with so many riders. If it was a small group of 4/5 it would be more likely to end in a sprint. Now he had to make choices and as I feared he did too much, and ofcourse he reacts to Van Aert, because if you give Van Aert 1mm he wins. The others were never going to close that down.... sorry.

If he wanted to actually win, he would have needed to get the others to do some of the heavy lifting. He didn't or couldn't. That means he only made sure they both wouldn't win. He put himself out of contention by chasing van Aert everytime. The others (Pedersen in this case) were laughing their way to the bank while he was doing the work.
He then had the opening to ride together with van Aert on one occasion, but he didn't, just sat on his wheel and waited. If he was "done" then way chase van Aert to begin with?
So either he's not being honest, or he's tactically more inept than i feared. And i do hope he watches the footage again and learns from his mistakes.

Flat finals are difficult for anyone in a break like that. Especially with guys like Pedersen and Bettiol. You can't go into a finale like that with a guarantee to win, even if you are the best, which in this case he wasn't.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

The others would have never done the heavy lifting and you know that as well as me. It's logical they look at VDP when Van Aert goes.

 

[yaco]

The others would have never done the heavy lifting and you know that as well as me. It's logical they look at VDP when Van Aert goes.

Pederson even admitted that in his post-race interview.