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

[noob]

Noob said last year he's struggling with mental health issues and that he needs help. That doesn't mean he's a bad person. It means he needs help. It also doesn't mean what he's doing isn't understandable. He still needs help. Even if they throw urin on him (which I really want to see prosecuted if it happened) spitting on them won't help. Maybe being drunk around races should be prohibited even.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Noob said last year he's struggling with mental health issues and that he needs help. That doesn't mean he's a bad person. It means he needs help. It also doesn't mean what he's doing isn't understandable. He still needs help. Even if they throw urin on him (which I really want to see prosecuted if it happened) spitting on them won't help. Maybe being drunk around races should be prohibited even.

Van Der Peol has mental health issues??? Which do you think? Can you explain a bit more??? Certainly like any top athlete he will have a unique mindset

 

[Froome]

Van Der Peol has mental health issues??? Which do you think? Can you explain a bit more??? Certainly like any top athlete he will have a unique mindset

Van der peol
Almida
ajuso
Remco evenepol
Belgian pozzato
Vinegard

🤩

@Ilmaestro99 needs to find "new names" to pogacar and roglic.

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

I suppose they could try... though, I dunno if they'd be chooing, or beering...
Though, someone cheering doesn't actually yell "cheer".

I'd guess they had plenty of "beering" pre race....

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

No start money for World Cups, hope he doesn't have to trade in the Maserati.

Is there not? OK, although I was taking the figure from your response on the other thread. Nevertheless, nothing to him unless it came with a warning of much more serious sanctions for further offences.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Noob said last year

Are you citing yourself in the third person?
Or are noob and Noob separate concepts (like Reading and reading or Polish and polish)

 

[senna6541]

MVDP looking strong again, although he's got to be feeling a bit of fatigue at this point. Too bad Piddy and Wout had their issues. Might have made the actual race at least a bit more interesting if they got to race straight up.

 

[Lequack]

MVDP looking strong again, although he's got to be feeling a bit of fatigue at this point. Too bad Piddy and Wout had their issues. Might have made the actual race at least a bit more interesting if they got to race straight up.

He's tired for sure... of fans booing him! That's why he showed the haters. He will probably show up in a new Lamborghini next time just to spite them.

 

[senna6541]

He's tired for sure... of fans booing him! That's why he showed the haters. He will probably show up in a new Lamborghini next time just to spite them.

Not too worried about the drunk slobs he spit at. I'm sure from their point of view they got their money's worth - just like the folks that actually came to see the best in the world on a great course. Not sure what time it is in Belgium right now, or what time the bars or their parent's basements close, but they're probably still pounding beers and spitting all over each other right now. Everybody comes out a winner.

 

[Hugh Januss]

Is there not? OK, although I was taking the figure from your response on the other thread. Nevertheless, nothing to him unless it came with a warning of much more serious sanctions for further offences.

I did say that, I think I was speaking of other races where I've heard he does get that money. At least that's my story.

 

[Volderke]

@Volderke : do you support the issuing of a fine?

Sure I support this. I think the fine is way too low to have any effect though. I’m sure mvdp was already mentally prepared to cough up whatever fine and he would still have spat… I don’t even think he would have backed off if he knew he would be dsq’d, for example.

 

[Rackham]

You are the one who made a point of it being a European country. I'm just wondering why.

Because the Netherlands is a European country. But please, go ahead & carry on cryptically insinuating what you're insinuating here. I'm sure it'll deflect from VdP's gross behavior.

Laughing so hard at the usual suspects here. MVDP could eat a baby and they'd be like "I know it's a bad look but nobody is perfect and that baby was asking for it"

Nah. VdP noticed a baby on fire so he spat at it to put the flames out. If someone posted that on X, his fanboys would unironically retweet it all over the internet.

BTW, I'll lump some of the media (& influencers) in with his fanboys as well in terms of damage control, i.e. the guy is big business in CX & the main attraction. The spin since yesterday afternoon is real & does set a precedent, aka a double-standard where one man's disgusting behavior is excused & people bend over backwards trying to blame others for his actions.

I mean oh wow, spectators were booing the guy. What a scandal! https://www.eurosport.fr/cyclo-cros...rop-malgre-la-victoire_sto9939181/story.shtml

Booing has no place in pro-sports. Everyone who boos athletes needs a dose of human spit, preferably in the face. That'll teach them!

I think we can expect more articles & long-winded forum posts featuring meta commentary about fan behavior. It's sadly part of the game when a popular man who rolls around in a Lamborghini misbehaves publicly.

 

[Volderke]

Because the Netherlands is a European country. But please, go ahead & carry on cryptically insinuating what you're insinuating here. I'm sure it'll deflect from VdP's gross behavior.



Nah. VdP noticed a baby on fire so he spat at it to put the flames out. If someone posted that on X, his fanboys would unironically retweet it all over the internet.

BTW, I'll lump some of the media (& influencers) in with his fanboys as well in terms of damage control, i.e. the guy is big business in CX & the main attraction. The spin since yesterday afternoon is real & does set a precedent, aka a double-standard where one man's disgusting behavior is excused & people bend over backwards trying to blame others for his actions.

I mean oh wow, spectators were booing the guy. What a scandal! https://www.eurosport.fr/cyclo-cros...rop-malgre-la-victoire_sto9939181/story.shtml

Booing has no place in pro-sports. Everyone who boos athletes needs a dose of human spit, preferably in the face. That'll teach them!

I think we can expect more articles & long-winded forum posts featuring meta commentary about fan behavior. It's sadly part of the game when a popular man who rolls around in a Lamborghini misbehaves publicly.

Cx is no football. It is a sport where you can still approach riders and stand next to them, have a conversation etc, and during the race, you can stand very close to the action.

A rider has really no reason to behave aggressive / frustrated towards the audience except when “fans” behave bad and negative. In football, those would be removed from the stadion. In tennis, people would get removed if they make sounds during service. In cx… nothing happens.

In cx, most people behave, even if there is the (mostly Belgian) booing for eg mvdp or any other foreign rider (think van der haar) that would threaten a Belgian win. But that’s it and any more than that shouldn’t be tolerated. Any action of a rider confronting the audience until now (Nijs, groenendael, Wellens) has resulted in fans supporting those riders. Groenendael even got more fans after his confrontation with a “fan” in diegem 2001, because most fans of eg Nijs realized you need guys like groenendael in cx, and fans can go too far. Groenendael’s aggressions showed that he was vulnerable and frustrated, and thus only human. Unfortunately, mvdp’s action was about the dirtiest / ugliest (spitting is an act of lowlifers in my book). But I still support his point of view. If he wants, he just stops cx and doesn’t take all the time to go on the photo with fans and sign photos. The moment mvdp arrives at the race, a camera is on him and fans are swarming around. That is mentally demanding and draining. He can as well just not do it. Thanks to those “fans”. And if he decides not to show up anymore (or the uci suspends him), those “fans” have won.
It’s easy to condemn mvdp’s actions and spitting in itself cannot be defended, but the reasons behind the spitting are far worse than the act of spitting (or any other action out of frustration), and contrary to eg football or tennis, cx riders really have no time or energy to deal with these “fans”. They can’t ask the arbiter for stopping the game or the umpire for silence.

 

[proffate]

It is at times like this I'm reminded of this old Neil Brennan sketch:

View: https://youtu.be/DfBvMWB8KOU?si=5MAJGksBieffEkZI


Cycling is an activity that will really get you over your socially constructed aversion to bodily functions and fluids. You probably blow 50 snot rockets per race and have half a dozen of your rivals' loogies land on you. If you've never peed your shorts at least a little bit, are you even really racing, bro? I remember riding behind a guy in dumping rain whose bibs were bubbling over with urine he could no longer hold in as we both desperately clung to the back of the elite field in a pro/am event.

So basically cyclists are machines accustomed to spewing bodily fluids all over the place. MVDP just did cycling to a non cyclist. You might as well get mad at a basketball player for sweating on a ball boy.

This moral outrage is fake news. Rackham you really need to just put down the keyboard, take off the mask, and breathe. I think the CO2 is impacting your sense of perspective.

 

[Rackham]

It is at times like this I'm reminded of this old Neil Brennan sketch:

View: https://youtu.be/DfBvMWB8KOU?si=5MAJGksBieffEkZI


Cycling is an activity that will really get you over your socially constructed aversion to bodily functions and fluids. You probably blow 50 snot rockets per race and have half a dozen of your rivals' loogies land on you. If you've never peed your shorts at least a little bit, are you even really racing, bro? I remember riding behind a guy in dumping rain whose bibs were bubbling over with urine he could no longer hold in as we both desperately clung to the back of the elite field in a pro/am event.

So basically cyclists are machines accustomed to spewing bodily fluids all over the place. MVDP just did cycling to a non cyclist. You might as well get mad at a basketball player for sweating on a ball boy.

This moral outrage is fake news. Rackham you really need to just put down the keyboard, take off the mask, and breathe. I think the CO2 is impacting your sense of perspective.

This post is a literal sketch.

My first reaction upon seeing the footage yesterday was "gross, what a dog!". Pro cyclists don't spit on spectators. It's pretty much uniquely a Van der Poel thing.

If you're saying deliberately spitting on spectators is the same as sweating, peeing on the roadside, on the saddle (or spitting on the road) for a pro-cyclist, then I'm not the one in need of some perspective here.

BTW just because a dozen fanboys have the same mindset or start attacking the naysayers, it doesn't make it right. I'm just a bit perplexed at the vehemence of the defence force. After the hotel incident in Australia, the forceful leadouts for Philipsen in the TdF, now this... it sort of paints a picture of a guy who does whatever he wants, when he wants... & people lap it all up.

 

[Rackham]

As far as I'm concerned the images speak for themselves.

Walls of text on the internet won't change a damned thing. It happened. There's no erasing it. He'll live with the footage & it's now part of the 'folklore' surrounding this rider.

C'est la vie.

 

[proffate]

Because the Netherlands is a European country. But please, go ahead & carry on cryptically insinuating what you're insinuating here.

you probably think playing dumb will save you, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're simply blind to your own casual racism.

You clearly insinuated that this behavior was more becoming of a non-European. You obviously think Europe is more culturally advanced than the rest of the world.

The irony is that this slip up only proves how inescapable human nature really is. If an elite forum pundit and SJW can't help but metaphorically spit on the rest of the world, what hope does a pro sportsman have to contain his natural instincts at a moment of extreme adrenal arousal?

 

[proffate]

start attacking the naysayers,.

It's literally just you. No need to pluralize.

 

[Rackham]

you probably think playing dumb will save you, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're simply blind to your own casual racism.

You clearly insinuated that this behavior was more becoming of a non-European. You obviously think Europe is more culturally advanced than the rest of the world.

The irony is that this slip up only proves how inescapable human nature really is. If an elite forum pundit and SJW can't help but metaphorically spit on the rest of the world, what hope does a pro sportsman have to contain his natural instincts at a moment of extreme adrenal arousal?

Okay. This is pretty messed up.

I did report this because I sort of have to (random accusations of racism aren't cool). But in case it stands, I think it's a bit rich (put mildly) when the country in question (the Netherlands) just elected Geert Wilders.

I mean hello? Earth calling fanboy: putting words in someone's mouth & projecting a pretty serious accusation in order to defend & deflect away from a pro-sportsman's bad behavior is low. Very low.

This was my post:

I'm not sure I get your meaning but in my post the use of "fans" (plural) seems appropriate in this case, especially when perusing social media (or sites like Wielerflits).

Someone earlier in this thread said the "forum mob" would have a "field day" over this incident, but as far as I can see, several hours later it's the Van der Poel fans who're having an absolute mare downvoting criticism, digging up real or imaginary fan behavior & using that as justification... it's wild. Apparently, spitting at people is just a "human reaction". Yep. Not in any civilized European country of course but hey, this is pro-sports & fanboyism reigns supreme. Morality is flexible & entirely case dependent.

A millionaire sportsman basically spat at a bunch of spectators whilst doing his job. I mean, there's no way this can be sugar-coated into anything other than "he f*cked up, big time".

I also posted this:

Spitting on someone is an act of violence & can even be considered a criminal offense.

What is even going on in this discussion? This is Europe in 2023. Not medieval times.

If you have to stoop so low & project racism onto me based on those two posts in order to protect VdP's 'good name', then I can conclude you're having a very bad day. Let's just leave it at that.

 

[proffate]

I actually have no idea who Geert Wilders is, or why it's important who the current political leader of the Netherlands is. Is this a call to arms for whatever political tribe you identify with to send in reinforcements and declare you the good guy here?

 

[Rackham]

I actually have no idea who Geert Wilders is, or why it's important who the current political leader of the Netherlands is. Is this a call to arms for whatever political tribe you identify with to send in reinforcements and declare you the good guy here?

I've said all I had to say. You're having a bad time here, evidently.

If you have to invent outlandish conspiracies & project non-existent racism (of all things!) onto me, then there's not much I can say other than 'I'll leave it to the mods'.

The handwringing & deflections since yesterday are simply absurd. VdP mucked up. The end. He should not have done that.

 

[DNP-Old]

What the hell is this thread?

 

[Salvarani]

Some people need to stop living their life on the internet. Stop being a keyboard warrior. Stop this cancel culture. Stop being this brainwashed.

You are insane if you are going really hard at MVDP to try and crucify him. Calling on him to be banned for a year? Such an overreaction.

 

[Volderke]

BTW just because a dozen fanboys have the same mindset or start attacking the naysayers,

those you call fanboys, are actually just fans of the sport.

it doesn't make it right. I'm just a bit perplexed at the vehemence of the defence force.

Maybe you should look around and see who is the level headed, and who is the one trying to create drama here?

After the hotel incident in Australia, the forceful leadouts for Philipsen in the TdF, now this... it sort of paints a picture of a guy who does whatever he wants, when he wants... & people lap it all up.

Like all people / riders, MvdP receives and loses brownie points with the general audience. He lost some by his spitting, but he isn't subzero. The spitting was borderline, but he still comes across as mostly balanced. You try to connect the dots and paint a pretty negative picture of him. I guess you were biased before the spitting, and now your image of him is reinforced.

 

[Rackham]

What the hell is this thread?

A happy thread filled with lots of happy people since a star of pro-cycling showered spectators with a heavy dose of his saliva.

The man has fans. The rest (including the bickering) was probably predictable.

Some people need to stop living their life on the internet. Stop being a keyboard warrior. Stop this cancel culture. Stop being this brainwashed.

You are insane if you are going really hard at MVDP to try and crucify him. Calling on him to be banned for a year? Such an overreaction.

You lambast cancel culture unironically after a couple of guys tried to cancel me since I happened to post 'Europe' & 'civilized' in the same sentence, irrespective of context, aka anything to demolish a critical viewpoint & the person behind the keyboard. I mean Jesus...

Back in the real world (& yes, considering who the Dutch just elected), this is all very puny. But something which isn't puny is the act of spitting on spectators. It's a big deal because it's a rarity. Ergo not a regular occurrence.

I don't make this up. People just need to deal with it instead of constantly attacking his critics.