• 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 73 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
I meant to mention this earlier, but did you see how he just rolled away from everyone through that 80 degree corner about 1.5K from the finish? "Here, let me show you how to rail a corner..."!
Looked like he could have easily done a Cancellara at that point and skated away from what was left of the lead group to win solo in Yellow but impressively he rode for his teammate and set up a high quality lead out.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jmdirt
Looked like he could have easily done a Cancellara at that point and skated away from what was left of the lead group to win solo in Yellow but impressively he rode for his teammate and set up a high quality lead out.

I enjoyed this quote from Merlier:
Quite apart from taking a stage, other dream scenarios Merlier has already enjoyed in the Tour included, moments beforehand, having teammate Van der Poel in the maillot jaune leading him out, in person.

“That made me really nervous,” he said, “when he said he’d do it this morning at the team meeting, I asked him not to go too fast as he did in Tirreno-Adriatico a couple of years ago, when he went so quick it was too hard to sprint behind him.

“Today he was really strong, and maybe he can do better for himself in the next couple of days as well.”
 
In addition to Dekker's post, Mathieu is technically a more skilled rider, but Van Aert is better at positioning. First stage TDF, Mathieu was -again- too far back. Same thing often happens with bunch sprints. It was the same story in San Remo this year, too far back on the Poggio.



There is some truth to what you are saying, but you are exaggerating. Wout is mentally very strong, but Mathieu has grown stronger the past 2 years imho. Also, yes, Mathieu will pull off the more crazy solo's, but that's also because of his team being 100% about him. But also i think Wout's Strade solo would be in their "10 most incredible wins". And i'm sure there will be others.


I basically see every CX race that gets aired, the only example i can think of is the CX WCC, where Wout indeed acknowledged to have "let it go" after his puncture.
I watched them all live as well, and I remember another instance where I saw him appear to accept his fate...can't remember off the bat, but your example was one of the ones I was thinking of.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jmdirt
Frankly this just seems stupid especially for scenarios like today.
not really, they just, and especially mathieu, deemed MTB more important. The time spent on TT bike was better spent on training MTB, because that requires a different position to get used to too.

I think he will never train on TT unless he drops another discipline which we all know won't happen
 
not really, they just, and especially mathieu, deemed MTB more important. The time spent on TT bike was better spent on training MTB, because that requires a different position to get used to too.

I think he will never train on TT unless he drops another discipline which we all know won't happen
The effort is pretty minimal. Windtunnel test like once a year, and then replace the road bike with the TT bike an hour or two a week when you're on the road.

He doesn't need to specialize, but especially the first bit of effort should have quite a large benefit.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nick2413
not really, they just, and especially mathieu, deemed MTB more important. The time spent on TT bike was better spent on training MTB, because that requires a different position to get used to too.

I think he will never train on TT unless he drops another discipline which we all know won't happen

I agree - and people still aren't getting it - he's not a full time Road rider, so why would he do much TT training? He spends more time on his motocross bike than a TT bike, as quite a few MTB-ers do, it's good for keeping the skills up to speed.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jmdirt and Bolder
I agree - and people still aren't getting it - he's not a full time Road rider, so why would he do much TT training? He spends more time on his motocross bike than a TT bike, as quite a few MTB-ers do, it's good for keeping the skills up to speed.
Did I say he needs to put in a lot of effort? I'm saying the bare minimum can be quite helpful.

Like never entering a wind tunnel and then panic buying quick wheels is just taking the piss.
 

he does say he wants to make work of it "in the future" . He does seeem to actually like the discipline
 
Did I say he needs to put in a lot of effort? I'm saying the bare minimum can be quite helpful.

Like never entering a wind tunnel and then panic buying quick wheels is just taking the piss.
You're really missing the point, thinking that it really takes so little effort to make siginificant improvements in time trialing. It's not only like one visit in wind tunnel and you're automatically faster by let's say 3%. It requires practising and getting used to the position, it takes a lot of engagement and also mental effort. He's probably the busiest pro cyclist in the peleton, combining CX, MTB and road season. His main goal was to take the yellow jersey. I don't think keeping it for as long as possible was really in their minds. It surely wasn't like "we desperately need to improve your TT skills, cause then you'll be able to keep it over the TT in stage 5". Then if he switches 100% to the road in the future, he'll surely put more focus on TT, but now I see it pointless to sacrifice any amount of his time to do it.

In fact, having such an oppurtunity and not buying those wheels, would be taking a piss, because it basically takes zero effort for the team and for MvdP to do it while it gives them a considerable advantage.
 
I can't really think of many situations in which he'd need to be great at ITT'ing unless he's targeting more one-week races. But let's see how he goes today: There's no reason, given solo efforts we've seen from him, that he can't be a Top 10 ITTer with "minimal" extra effort...
 
  • Like
Reactions: 42x16ss
It sounds like Canyon have realised there's a possibility to keep him in Yellow by getting him some faster wheels from Wurf. He's also in yellow Le Coq which must be around 30s too as their skins suits are pretty generic and average in terms of aero even with a seamstress sucking it all in.
 
I think WVA will be wearing the YJ after this one. He hasn’t contested any of the first two stages for the win and so has wasted less energy in that regard compared to the other protagonists.

Other than that he has actually made work of improving his TT in every way possible and as such is an elite TT’er who has always been a favorite in most ITT’s he has contested - including today - as opposed to Mathieu.

VdP has already achieved his main goal at the Tour which is putting on the YJ and has worn it for a couple of stages. Pou pou’s memory has been honored and Alpecin has been in the spotlight as a result of him achieving that, not to mention Merlier also winning a stage.

Focus will be on Tokio after today I suppose.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
Anybody notice that, even while pulling for Merlier's sprint for a full kilometer in the final, with still more than 1 k to go, VdP just rejoins the pack, and moves up and gets in the top 10? VdP was 7 and 12 in the two sprint stages, with ease. Anybody else would just get dropped and end 30s behind the pack. If he doesn't pull for Merlier/Philipsen, then what? Why would those watts not work in a mass sprint? In Cav's sprint, with 150 meters to go, you see VdP easily move up to just behind the group of A sprinters, who are going all out, sort of looking around. I can just see him thinking: am I good enough to win a bunch sprint against these guys? Lol.

Just analyzed:
VdP is ~25th position at 600m from the line in Cav's win. Goes from right hand pack of the bunch, to the full left, outside of the turn, making the most meters of all. Ends at 12, in the very first little pack.
 
Last edited:
I can't really think of many situations in which he'd need to be great at ITT'ing unless he's targeting more one-week races. But let's see how he goes today: There's no reason, given solo efforts we've seen from him, that he can't be a Top 10 ITTer with "minimal" extra effort...

TTing on a road bike is certainly something that would be useful, but I don't know how much training on a TT bike specifically helps with that.
 
Anybody notice that, even while pulling for Merlier's sprint for a full kilometer in the final, with still more than 1 k to go, VdP just rejoins the pack, and moves up and gets in the top 10? VdP was 7 and 12 in the two sprint stages, with ease. Anybody else would just get dropped and end 30s behind the pack. If he doesn't pull for Merlier/Philipsen, then what? Why would those watts not work in a mass sprint? In Cav's sprint, with 150 meters to go, you see VdP easily move up to just behind the group of A sprinters, who are going all out, sort of looking around. I can just see him thinking: am I good enough to win a bunch sprint against these guys? Lol.

Just analyzed:
VdP is ~25th position at 600m from the line in Cav's win. Goes from right hand pack of the bunch, to the full left, outside of the turn, making the most meters of all. Ends at 12, in the very first little pack.
I think he could win any number of mass sprints, given what he can do at his size on hills, 1300+watts should be enough...
 
  • Like
Reactions: jmdirt

TRENDING THREADS