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Someone told him that it was a mountain stage and he thought "mountain bike stage...go hard all day".
Maybe, just maybe, with perfect luck and everything, he might win an easier one, I guess. But honestly one of the reason why I like him a fair bit more than Van Aert is that while he is an extremely strong rider he cannot just laugh and stomp 99% of the peloton on all terrains (well, he's got the potential to be a great TTist, but he isn't one yet). So, while I enjoyed his ride today, I'm kind of relieved he didn't win.
Everytime I hear about so called greats, if they lose hours in the GTs because of the climbs I'm left wondering. I realize this is unpopular but so be it.
I'm not sure I get your point. You're saying that truly great cyclists should always be able to top the GC in GTs? If so, yes, I think that has been a pretty unpopular idea since the 70s or so.
He was never gonna hold 1'30 on a 9km 9% climb vs those climbers behind. Or 5 minutes on the GC men.
He did pretty well though. Above expectations. I don't think it's a major suprise that if Vd Poel is on a good or superb day he might be able to hold within the ~40/50 best climbers.
He did pretty well though. Above expectations. I don't think it's a major suprise that if Vd Poel is on a good or superb day he might be able to hold within the ~40/50 best climbers.
There are many words to describe MvdP's climbing today. Sad isn't one of them I wouldn't have thought. He had people scared today (Inc the giro social media team). That was a hard mountain stage and no one would expect him to have been at the pointy end at that stage. But there he was, holding his gap.
As usual it was all out until the lights went out. MvdP is a real entertainer, something cycling is short on.
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Of course you're relieved he didn't win - you sound like a WVA fan, and you know if MVDP focused on the road he'd beat WVA straight up even more easily than he already does. WVA is great in his own right, but he's not MVDP in terms of talent or "panache". The record bears that out.
gotta love MVP
He knew his chances to win the stage were slim, yet he went anyways.
It's much better for a pure cyclist racer like him to release the beast within him than to tame it
He knew his chances to win the stage were slim, yet he went anyways.
It's much better for a pure cyclist racer like him to release the beast within him than to tame it
Big Doopie
BANNED
there are really only three riders that presently are "re-writing" how to win and when you can attack (or at least taking us back to a different era):
Pog
Remco
VdP
I would like to put Ala and WvA in there, but they are largely conventional, though definitely exciting.
Basically, it comes down to this: can you imagine any other riders today doing what Pog did at Strade Bianche, or VdP at Amstel, or Remco at LBL (or San Sebastian for that matter)?
i can't.
Pog
Remco
VdP
I would like to put Ala and WvA in there, but they are largely conventional, though definitely exciting.
Basically, it comes down to this: can you imagine any other riders today doing what Pog did at Strade Bianche, or VdP at Amstel, or Remco at LBL (or San Sebastian for that matter)?
i can't.
70s? Nah. A number of riders post 70s in my mind qualify. I reserve "great" for an Alexander of the sport. It seems to be thrown around too lightly these days. Doubtless MvDP is a spectacular rider, I was just musing over the fact that, despite his "greatness," he is a couple of hours behind in this Giro. So how should we refer to those fighting for GC?
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GC riders?
Look, I get your point, but you either go for GC or you don't care about how much time you lose: one or two hours, it's all the same. Isn't Sagan a 'truly great' cyclist? What about Cavendish, or Gilbert? And if you argue that both Classics and GT wins are required to make a rider truly great, then what about Froome and Contador?
The only great riders in the peloton would be Pog, Rog, and Vincenzo Nibali (maybe Valverde as well).
I literally said that I like VdP a 'fair bit' (= a lot) more than VA in the post you quote, lol. The reason why I didn't mind him missing out on this win is precisely the reason why I like WvA less. I prefer riders who excel in a couple of niches and maximize their chances to win based on them rather than riders who can win no matter what. That's why I favour MvdP and Remco over Wva and Pog.
Put those riders who are hours ahead of MvdP in a CX, or XC MTB World Cup season, and see how good they are. They'd be lapped every race - doesn't make them poor riders, it's not what they are. Similarly, MvdP is a big guy, he can't possibly beat 'skinny little climbers' on GC.
He's the only current rider with World Tour road wins, CX World Cup, XCO & XCC World Cup wins.....
The most incredible thing about yesterday's performance is that, according to some posters here, he should have abandoned the Giro after stage 10 or 11.
Instead, he is battling it out with the climbers on multi mountain Alpine stages. BEAST!
Instead, he is battling it out with the climbers on multi mountain Alpine stages. BEAST!
Meh. He gets 1'30 headstarts like candy and then finishes 3 minutes down.
You are a bit harsch, on the top of the climb it wasn't close to 3 minutes yet. But in the remaining 8km rolling terrain he had nothing to gain anymore.
It‘s actually incredible that this Giro would be the first GT that Mathieu finishes, if he reaches the finish in Verona. He waited quite long for that.
I think he, as an athlete, will benefit really, really greatly from finishing Grand Tours, now. He goes now full gas in the Italian mountains in week three, nearly all week, and that is so important for him. No training in the world would be able to give him the benefit that stages like this week‘s give him.
For us, furthermore, it‘s a pleasure to watch, also: beautiful Italian mountain spring scenery, peloton full of climbers in top shape, and MVDP as powerful muscular „Dutch Bull“ in the breakaways for hours, challenging the best climbers in the world, and looking good…
So good to see him racing. Doesn‘t matter if it‘s Superprestige in cold and dark Belgium in December, or hot Giro end of May - MVDP is the born racer, and goes full gas all year. Just like Wout - and no one else…
I think he, as an athlete, will benefit really, really greatly from finishing Grand Tours, now. He goes now full gas in the Italian mountains in week three, nearly all week, and that is so important for him. No training in the world would be able to give him the benefit that stages like this week‘s give him.
For us, furthermore, it‘s a pleasure to watch, also: beautiful Italian mountain spring scenery, peloton full of climbers in top shape, and MVDP as powerful muscular „Dutch Bull“ in the breakaways for hours, challenging the best climbers in the world, and looking good…
So good to see him racing. Doesn‘t matter if it‘s Superprestige in cold and dark Belgium in December, or hot Giro end of May - MVDP is the born racer, and goes full gas all year. Just like Wout - and no one else…
I get all that. Admittedly, as I have said elsewhere, I consider the GC Bigs to be the genetic freaks of the sport, with special motors. All I'm saying is that the word "great" (magnus) should be used sparingly. What about Indurain for all that? Good question and there is no mathematical answer. I'm just aware that, even if a MvDP were to try for GC, he has no chance of being up there, whereas we saw what Pogacar did in his first Flanders (a fish out of water). Now that's greatness. But anyone is free to see things otherwise.
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