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

[Ricco']

Is he scheduled to race the MTB nats next Sunday in Landgraaf?

I didn't check any startlists, but I don't think so, because he said on his Instagram account that he is happy to have some time off to prepare the 2nd part of the season.

 

[classicomano]

MVP is riding Alsace this week, got 3rd in the Team Prologue yesterday and today they are finishing on Planche des belles Filles. He looked tired in his last races but I hope he can really test himself on a serious climb like this.

 

[yaco]

I wonder how well MVP can get up this climb.

 

[Ricco']

Markus Hoelgaard won the stage, being in the break of the day (strong break, with Vanhoucke, Lucas Hamilton, Scotson and Eenkhoorn, apart from Hoelgaard. The live ticked stopped updating at the beginning of the climb, so the info available at the moment is very low, it isn't known who followed the rider from Norway.

 

[Krokro]

Re:

Markus Hoelgaard won the stage, being in the break of the day (strong break, with Vanhoucke, Lucas Hamilton, Scotson and Eenkhoorn, apart from Hoelgaard. The live ticked stopped updating at the beginning of the climb, so the info available at the moment is very low, it isn't known who followed the rider from Norway.

Glad someone follows Tour d'Alsace. They cross twice my town on Sunday!
Can you please share the liveticker buddy ? Saturday gonna be a massive stage.

 

[Ruudz0r]

Re: Re:

Markus Hoelgaard won the stage, being in the break of the day (strong break, with Vanhoucke, Lucas Hamilton, Scotson and Eenkhoorn, apart from Hoelgaard. The live ticked stopped updating at the beginning of the climb, so the info available at the moment is very low, it isn't known who followed the rider from Norway.

Glad someone follows Tour d'Alsace. They cross twice my town on Sunday!
Can you please share the liveticker buddy ? Saturday gonna be a massive stage.

https://live.touralsace.fr/27-juillet-etape-1-velleminfroy-planche-des-belles-filles

You can change to a different stage at the top

 

[Krokro]

Great I did not know their website was providing livefeed. Thanks

 

[classicomano]

He finished 15 minutes behind the winner. Im afraid hes pushing himself way too far at the moment. His schedule has been pretty insane.

 

[classicomano]

Back to winning! Dwars door het Hageland, after an epic battle with Wout van Aert.

 

[Ricco']

Amazing! I celebrated like crazy, I think it's his best victory to date on a road race.

After a couple of disappointments in Vallnord and Lenzerheide and a sub-par Tour of Alsace, I for sure I'm very happy with this great victory and he should also be. It's a shame he isn't in Canada for the XCO this weekend, but this payed off. Now for a good Tour du Limousin and then another shot at victory in Schaal Sels.

 

[Echoes]

He probably raced the Tour of Alsace to get rhythm back after a break.

Great win by Mathieu but I'm not sure he was 100% yet. For the first time I saw him really race smart. After both Dimitri Claeys attacks, you could see him looking back waiting for Wout to counter the move. WOut did it twice. Wout looked too self-confident to me. It's surprising. He knows that against Mathieu you'd rather have to save energy but here, attack with 40km to go with only Joeri Stallaert in the wheel behind a large lead-group with names such as Piet Allegaert or Florian Sénéchal. Even Mathieu did not go along and waited for the rider moment to catch him back (even Gianni Meersman in the commentary box saw it coming). And then on the Citadelle of Diest, Wout attacked from below all the way. I guess he was super motivated because it's Niels Albert's former training roads and he's the race designer but still WOut could have played smarter, I think. Not sure he could've won though.

 

[classicomano]

First stage of the Tour du Limousin today, finished on a steep hill. Breakaway of the day held off the peloton but MVP won the group sprint behind ahead of guys like Vuillermoz, Gavazzi, Coquard. Not bad. Tomorrow a longer climb to the finish, interesting to see if he can get a result.

After this he will ride Schaal Sels and then its off to CX again.

 

[Ricco']

Tomorrow's climb didn't make much differences in 2014. If a guy like Julien Simon can arrive with the s.t. as the winner, so can MVP is he is in a good day, I think.

At least he managed to gain a bit a time of guys like Calmejane and Ciccone. That and Guillaume Martin, Torres and Gaudu losing significant amounts of time should open his GC chances a lot.

 

[Echoes]

Great that he's racing the Schaal Sels this year. This has now become some kind of Tro Bro Leon, on dirt roads, passing just in front of Frans Van Looy's farm. Wout Van Aert was dominant last year. Even two years ago he was the main animator. So now we might have yet another chapter in this wonderful rivalry. I'm still wondering whatever happened to the Black Angus calf that Wout was supposed to win after his last year victory.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Van der Poel is really explosive and fast on those short hills and uphill finishes.

In abilities he is closer to Sagan. Van Aert has more endurance and is a lot better even on longer climbs, he resembles Van Avermaet more. Maybe stronger on long climbs even.

 

[Ricco']

Mathieu won't be racing Schaal Sels. Tour du Limousin will be his last road race of the season. There's the possibility of doing the XCO World Cup in Val di Sole, but he isn't sure yet.

 

[TMP402]

Great that he's racing the Schaal Sels this year. This has now become some kind of Tro Bro Leon, on dirt roads, passing just in front of Frans Van Looy's farm. Wout Van Aert was dominant last year. Even two years ago he was the main animator. So now we might have yet another chapter in this wonderful rivalry. I'm still wondering whatever happened to the Black Angus calf that Wout was supposed to win after his last year victory.

Schaal Sels is a wonderful race,

 

[classicomano]

He was reportedly well positioned at the start of the climb but rolled in 1:42 back. Quite disappointing, but maybe i'm expecting too much at this stage. Still 2 stages left who should suit him.

 

[classicomano]

Mathieu won't be racing Schaal Sels. Tour du Limousin will be his last road race of the season. There's the possibility of doing the XCO World Cup in Val di Sole, but he isn't sure yet.

Thats a shame, wouldve been another epic battle with WVA for sure.

 

[Echoes]

Re:

Mathieu won't be racing Schaal Sels. Tour du Limousin will be his last road race of the season. There's the possibility of doing the XCO World Cup in Val di Sole, but he isn't sure yet.

Shame though but it's his choice and probably the right one, cyclocross season is coming close. I guess he still has a high place at the World Cup so he should go to Val di Sole.

 

[classicomano]

He won the uphill sprint today but unfortunately there was a 2 man break in front again. Oh well, good showing all in all.

PCM still has him listed for Schaal Sels, what was the source for him not riding there?

 

[Ricco']

Re:

PCM still has him listed for Schaal Sels, what was the source for him not riding there?

An interview he did to DirectVelo after the first stage.

http://www.directvelo.com/actualite/60496/mathieu-van-der-poel-chapeau-a-eux

 

[classicomano]

Re: Re:

PCM still has him listed for Schaal Sels, what was the source for him not riding there?

An interview he did to DirectVelo after the first stage.

http://www.directvelo.com/actualite/60496/mathieu-van-der-poel-chapeau-a-eux

Ah right, nice catch.

 

[Echoes]

New (Dutch) article suggests that Mathieu might after all be present and predicts a new battle with Wout Van Aert, defending champion. (article posted today)

http://internetbode.nl/woensdrecht/wint-mathieu-poel-jaar-schaal-sels-304779

Are they out of touch or has Mathieu changed his mind?

 

[Der Effe]

Mathieu said in an interview with Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad he is going to do all MTB World Cups after his CX season and he wants to compete at the 2020 Olympics as MTB-rider.

After 2020 he will switch to road. He said he will only be 25 by then and still has 10 years to build a career on the road.