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

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Postponed his CX season to 3 november

Smart move
-More rest (after longer road season)
-Skips koppenberg (hates that cross, hardly ever performs well there)

They might cut more in his CX season to prepare for the road spring and olympic MTB season.
People often think he races a lot, but last season he did 32 cx races, 30 road race days and about 10 mtb races. There are road racers who have more days with road racing alone.
They are being very smart and careful with it.

 

[Ricco']

Well, now he has to win each round of the DVV by more than 1 minute to make up the time he will lose for not starting the Koppenbergcross.

It should be doable.

 

[glassmoon]

Looks like he back at what he's best in - winning races.
+ November schedule:
After Ruddervoorde, van der Poel will race the European Championships in Silvelle, Italy, Jaarmarktcross Niel, the Tabor World Cup, DVV Trophy Hamme, Ambiancecross Wachtebeke, the Koksijde World Cup, and DVV Trophy Kortrijk.

 

[Mayomaniac]

According to la gazzetta MVP will race Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico and MSR, so we pretty much already know one of the wildcard teams for those races.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Yes! I hoped he would ride Strade and MSR.

To be fair, I think Strade is, like with Wout van Aert, just a tad too hilly for him to win against Alaf/Fugl type of riders. But he could still finish close. MSR... well, I'd like to see it, Poggio is perfect for him and the downhill as well. Could be interesting.

 

[Breh]

His rumoured spring schedule;

Strade
Tirreno
MSR
Dwars door Vlaanderen
Gent-Wevelgem
Ronde van Vlaanderen
Paris-Roubaix
Brabantse pijl

 

[Bolder]

His rumoured spring schedule;

Strade
Tirreno
MSR
Dwars door Vlaanderen
Gent-Wevelgem
Ronde van Vlaanderen
Paris-Roubaix
Brabantse pijl

How many of those races, based on 2019 form, does he have a serious chance to win? I defer to the classics experts but I would think GW and Flanders.

Of course MSR but I'll point out that the length of the WCRR this year might have been an issue (or just the cold). It's a damn long race, and he'd be going from hour and a bit cx efforts into 300 km or so...

He's the putative favorite as defending winner of DDV and BP, of course.

Unknowns are Strade and P-R. I think he'll win P-R someday, but it could take a few tries -- seems like luck and experience play a big role. Strade seems to favor punchier, lighter riders.

 

[Leinster]

That worlds course was a lot, lot more selective than MSR. If he sits in the bunch and follows wheels until the Cipressa it’ll just be a 6-hour warmup ride before an all-out last 40 minutes. Strade is much more likely to test his endurance for repeated high-output efforts, and van Aert’s been 3rd at Strade the last 2 years, so no reason vdP shouldn’t do well there.

The only race on the list that I’d be surprised to see him win is Tirreno. And even at that, it’s course-dependent.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Ok let's first get that myhth out that length is an issue. Please.

He has ridden a big selection of 250km+ races. Including EC, RVV, AGR, WC. He has had a issue at 1 of those races, and that was an extremity with rain and cold the whole day, where riders as Alaphilippe and inform Lutsenko even went into completely nowhere and Valverde abonded with 80km to go.

You think they can't handle the distance either?

Cmon. He has proven already he can handle the distance. Pleaaaase. Let's not start this myth

 

[42x16ss]

How many of those races, based on 2019 form, does he have a serious chance to win? I defer to the classics experts but I would think GW and Flanders.

Of course MSR but I'll point out that the length of the WCRR this year might have been an issue (or just the cold). It's a damn long race, and he'd be going from hour and a bit cx efforts into 300 km or so...

He's the putative favorite as defending winner of DDV and BP, of course.

Unknowns are Strade and P-R. I think he'll win P-R someday, but it could take a few tries -- seems like luck and experience play a big role. Strade seems to favor punchier, lighter riders.

He will be highly competitive at all those races with the possible exception of GC at Tirreno. His performance (and also WvA's) last season showed that he will be fine. WC was a miscalculation of the conditions.

 

[KZD]

I could see him winning both in Strade Bianche and Milan San Remo although I think the Poggio isn't the best kind of climb for him to go solo, its more likely that he wins a sprint from a reduced bunch. Tirreno will be to add racing miles and maybe win a stage.
Anyway, riding three monuments in one year I think its almost certain he will podium in one and even a win doesn't seem unlikely.
I also think that after Paris Roubaix, Amstel would make sense than Brabantse Pijl either that or just finish the spring in PR.

In sadder news, RIP Raymond Poulidor you are now in cycling heaven

 

[Lequack]

Sad news for Mathieu today, his grandpa and a great champion of his time as well, Raymond Poulidor, has passed away

Raymond Poulidor dies aged 83

French cycling icon passes away after long spell in hospital

www.cyclingnews.com

Raymond Poulidor (winner of the 1964 Vuelta a España):

The picture is from 2016 (translated):
https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://www.cyclismactu.net/news-route-raymond-poulidor-van-der-poel-il-est-bon-partout-ddv19-vanderpoel-rvv19-poulidor-belgium-tdf-82047.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Raymond Poulidor at the 1966 Tour de France.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

You see some features of young Raymond back in the face of Mathieu and David...Nice to see those old pictures.

Sad he couldn't see his grandson in the TDF. Would've been just a 2 years wait

 

[Breh]

That 1966 picture IS David Van Der Poel.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

He might not only still ride AGR, but now I read he also possibly rides FW..

Column: Genoeg over Van der Poel, laten we het over Van der Poel hebben

Een middag veldrijden met Mathieu van der Poel: je zou het saai kunnen noemen. Televisie aan, mooie beelden van rondvliegend zand, Van der Poel rijdt weg, Belgen spar

www.indeleiderstrui.nl

although I think it's more likely the writer confuses FW with Br Pijl?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

He's been voted Dutch cyclist of the year yesterday. And that was only the first time after the last 5/6 years Dumoulin won that prize each year.

 

[jaylew]

That worlds course was a lot, lot more selective than MSR. If he sits in the bunch and follows wheels until the Cipressa it’ll just be a 6-hour warmup ride before an all-out last 40 minutes.

I think the biggest issue he may have won't be the actual distance but rather the patience to sit in and not do anything for 6 hours

 

[tobydawq]

I think the biggest issue he may have won't be the actual distance but rather the patience to sit in and not do anything for 6 hours

I think this hypothesis is getting very silly.

He may find the race boring but he will of course not attack before the Poggio.

He's not a little kid.

 

[jaylew]

You may find it silly but I'm just basing it on what I've seen and his own words. Anyway, I don't necessarily think he can't or won't wait, the point was that the distance shouldn't be an issue and if there's any issue at all it would be that.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Currently he's riding with 5.2% fat percentage in cyclocross (luckily it's currently not that cold compared to other winters). With 5% being the bare minimum.

Do we know if that percentage is different during road season or compared to some other riders?

 

[Bonimenier]

I remember reading somewhere once that Froome had a fat percentage of 4,1-4,2% during the the tour a couple years back, but he is a GC-rider. I have the feeling that 5,2% is rather low for a cyclocrosser/classic rider.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I remember reading somewhere once that Froome had a fat percentage of 4,1-4,2% during the the tour a couple years back, but he is a GC-rider. I have the feeling that 5,2% is rather low for a cyclocrosser/classic rider.

Yes, crosser seem to have up to 9%. I wonder if it leaves him more vulnerable to sickness. Can't really remember him getting sick.

 

[Bonimenier]

Yes, crosser seem to have up to 9%. I wonder if it leaves him more vulnerable to sickness. Can't really remember him getting sick.

I do remember him getting sick 2 years ago during the CX-season, but that was because he had to give interviews and go the the cerenomy in his sweaty clothes after a cross. Can't remember any other time he has been sick. We don't know what his fat percentage was the previous years though. Might have been higher.

 

[red_flanders]

How many of those races, based on 2019 form, does he have a serious chance to win? I defer to the classics experts but I would think GW and Flanders.

Of course MSR but I'll point out that the length of the WCRR this year might have been an issue (or just the cold). It's a damn long race, and he'd be going from hour and a bit cx efforts into 300 km or so...

He's the putative favorite as defending winner of DDV and BP, of course.

Unknowns are Strade and P-R. I think he'll win P-R someday, but it could take a few tries -- seems like luck and experience play a big role. Strade seems to favor punchier, lighter riders.

His performance at Amstel would seem to indicate he can handle Strade Bianche.

 

[Bonimenier]

A better question would be which one he can't win. I don't think there are a lot of big 1 day races that he is incapable of winning.