• The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

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

Page 59 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
It's quite possible it was a better performance by MvdP than Alaf in 2019, i was never saying it wasn't, i was simply saying that to me it was clear that Alaphilippe wasn't on the same level he was in 2019. Overall climbing time being faster now is no proof that he was.

I was addressing more to Dekker_Tifosi's point of view but it seems we agree that climbing times doesn't say that much about the racing level.

What's also worth pointing out, is that MVDP played it out very smartly today. When WVA and JA pushed hard on the front on the earlier ascents, Mathieu kept it calm in their wheels, saving his strengths for those two extraordinary attacks at the last part of the race.
 
Yeah you might be right, Alaphilippe did become even stronger than 2019.

My only question is if MvdP can hold or even improve this form until Roubaix. That will be interesting to see.
Well... if he can improve on this form, the competition doesn't even have to bother showing up. I assume he'll be able to hold it long enough for the rest of the classics. I would hope the others will improve.

I was addressing more to Dekker_Tifosi's point of view but it seems we agree that climbing times doesn't say that much about the racing level.

What's also worth pointing out, is that MVDP played it out very smartly today. When WVA and JA pushed hard on the front on the earlier ascents, Mathieu kept it calm in their wheels, saving his strengths for those two extraordinary attacks.
I know, i was simply saying how/where the debate originated.
 
Last edited:
i don't think that's the question. He can win Roubaix. But i'm not sure if it's this year. 5 weeks is a long time to keep such form
Van Aert showed last year that 5 weeks is not a problem if managed well. Of course he CAN win Roubaix this year. That doesn't mean that he will. It's a race where a lot can happen, and even the best man doesn't always win (like van Aert didn't win in 2019).
 
Mar 7, 2021
1
0
10
Visit site
I don’t actually think that is true (clearly MVDP felt that and said it) as I genuinely think that was a very very good version of Alaphillipe but MVDP is simply better.
I think it is a bit early to say that MVDP Is better than Alaphilippe. He is better in this kind of race that for sure, Strade is the perfect race for MVDP like FW is the perfect race for Alaphilippe.
I'm waiting to see what happens in the Poggio, if MVDP drop Alaphilippe then yes we can say that MVDP is better.
 
I noticed it was Van Aert who was doing the forcing and most of the work a few dozen of km from the finish. Later, he got help from Ala and later also from Van der Poel. That was a big mistake from Van Aert. As he en we knew it was his first competition. I don't think Van Aert could have won the race. But by riding more on reserves, he had made it through to the final climb.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
I noticed it was Van Aert who was doing the forcing and most of the work a few dozen of km from the finish. Later, he got help from Ala and later also from Van der Poel. That was a big mistake from Van Aert. As he en we knew it was his first competition. I don't think Van Aert could have won the race. But by riding more on reserves, he had made it through to the final climb.
I don't know if that's necessarily true. He clearly already had the volume to last the race, but the flashes weren't there yet. Making it a long, hard race was his only way to potentially winning the race, however small that chance was. He had no chance if he waited for an explosive outburst from van der Poel or Alaphilippe.
 

TRENDING THREADS