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

[Moose McKnuckles]

He lost that claim when he lost RvV to Pogacar. Will take some time to get that back IMO

We all watched the World Champs, Red Rick. Though, I'd agree that it's currently a toss-up between Pogi and VdP.
Also, I'm still miffed that VdP and WvA dodged Strade Bianche this year.

 

[KZD]

He's very likely to win Flanders this year, but he'll have to beat Pogacar there to regain the crown. He took quite a beating there last year, when he claimed to be in the form of his life.

He will not have to, Van der Poel is not to blame that Pogačar has decided to skip Flanders this year, for the reasons we all know. Plus, if he does win, he would equal the record in that race making it hard to argue that he is not the best RVV rider of this generation at least for now.

 

[Peyroteo94]

The gap between MVP and WVA is getting bigger and bigger. Hope to see WVA bounce back from this however MVP's rival seems to be Pogi.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Looks like there are 3 supermen in road cycling right now.

 

[Slavique Nuke]

He will not have to, Van der Poel is not to blame that Pogačar has decided to skip Flanders this year, for the reasons we all know. Plus, if he does win, he would equal the record in that race making it hard to argue that he is not the best RVV rider of this generation at least for now.

It's not about who wins it and how many times, it's about if Pog wants to win it, he will most likely win it.

Having seen last year's race, MvdP would have little to stand against him. So what kind of reign is this then?

 

[Froome]

It's not about who wins it and how many times, it's about if Pog wants to win it, he will most likely win it.

Having seen last year's race, MvdP would have little to stand against him. So what kind of reign is this then?

Last year was last year, it doesn't man Pogi would win against van der poel again in Flandres.

The problem is that people are thinking that Pogacar was the only one who improved from last year to this year.

 

[Slavique Nuke]

Last year was last year, it doesn't man Pogi would win against van der poel again in Flandres.

The problem is that people are thinking that Pogacar was the only one who improved from last year to this year.

Even if you think that way, my opinion is that MvdP needs to beat Pog if he wants to be called King.

He's very likely to win this year, it's a big win, it's a Monument that no one disputes. But to say that it would re-establish his rule is, I think, exaggerated.

 

[AmRacer]

Even if you think that way, my opinion is that MvdP needs to beat Pog if he wants to be called King.

He's very likely to win this year, it's a big win, it's a Monument that no one disputes. But to say that it would re-establish his rule is, I think, exaggerated.

Pog can win LBL and Il Lombardia.
So let's see who wins Olympics and Worlds.

 

[Slavique Nuke]

Pog can win LBL and Il Lombardia.
So let's see who wins Olympics and Worlds.

That's a different conversation. My posts are only about the reign of RVV.

 

[Lequack]

MVDP salute, great ride.

 

[Berniece]

Youre not aware of selection bias even you select for parcourses tailor made for MvdP?

Theres a reason MvdP doesnt even race on Lombardia

And De Oude Kwaremont is better for Pogacar than for MVDP… I don’t understand your point.

MVDP won MSR, Roubaix and worlds last year, while finishing second in De Ronde. All three the best of the best were racing there. Not sure what more he has to do, to be named the best one day racer.

 

[Unchained]

A few times when cameras went back and forth between Van der Poel and Wout you could just see that Wout couldn't get on top of the gear and was struggling.. MVP was just crushing it and when Wout turned around!! He got bridged up on and beat in the sprint.. What a great race!!

 

[AmRacer]

And De Oude Kwaremont is better for Pogacar than for MVDP… I don’t understand your point.

MVDP won MSR, Roubaix and worlds last year, while finishing second in De Ronde. All three the best of the best were racing there. Not sure what more he has to do, to be named the best one day racer.

San Sebastian. 😅

 

[Ripper]

And De Oude Kwaremont is better for Pogacar than for MVDP… I don’t understand your point.

MVDP won MSR, Roubaix and worlds last year, while finishing second in De Ronde. All three the best of the best were racing there. Not sure what more he has to do, to be named the best one day racer.

A Rando North American Crit, preferably against Californian masters racers

 

[kingjr]

Pogacar is one of the best the sport has seen, him being a GC rider is almost incidental.

 

[proffate]

And De Oude Kwaremont is better for Pogacar than for MVDP… I don’t understand your point.

MVDP won MSR, Roubaix and worlds last year, while finishing second in De Ronde. All three the best of the best were racing there. Not sure what more he has to do, to be named the best one day racer.

I think you answered your own question by calling Pog the best of the best at De Ronde, MSR, and worlds. No one would name MVDP the best of the best at Liege or Lombardia based on what we've seen so far.

 

[Blanco]

You're comparing a single hill in a 260km race to an entire race to completely ignore the larger point.

In addition, Kwaremont is a 2km cobbled hill. MvdP, a cobbled specialist, shouldn't get taken to the woodshed by a GC rider there.

He even doesn't like cobbles, and he rides them only in these couple of races (his own words).
His record speaks enough.
And Pogacar is more a classics specialists than a GC one. At least his results says so.

 

[Nick2413]

He doesn't like cobbles, and he rides them only in these couple of races (his own words).
His record speaks enough.
And Pogacar is more a classics specialists than a GC one. At least his results says so.

If Pogacar could ride 5 GTs a year at full form he’d have more GC wins than classics wins. I get the argument, but he’s evenly balanced. His 1 and 3 week win rate is probably 80% combined, vs closer to 35% for classics.

 

[roundabout]

He even doesn't like cobbles, and he rides them only in these couple of races (his own words).
His record speaks enough.
And Pogacar is more a classics specialists than a GC one. At least his results says so.

So far the classics specialist is running 13/22 in stage races won/stage races started.

If only he was a real GC rider.

 

[Blanco]

So far the classics specialist is running 13/22 in stage races won/stage races started.

If only he was a real GC rider.

No ***?
Can you list me his GC palmares, and then the classics one, and then we should evaluate where he had bigger success?

 

[roundabout]

In the last 3 years Pogacar failed to win 2 Tours and 1 Itzulia with finishes of 2x2nd and 1x3rd.

Obvious classic specialist detected.

 

[Froome]

If Pogacar could ride 5 GTs a year at full form he’d have more GC wins than classics wins. I get the argument, but he’s evenly balanced. His 1 and 3 week win rate is probably 80% combined, vs closer to 35% for classics.

I wasn't so sure about that.

 

[Blanco]

In the last 3 years Pogacar failed to win 2 Tours and 1 Itzulia with finishes of 2x2nd and 1x3rd.

Obvious classic specialist detected.

But he managed to win UAE Tour, Tirreno, Tour of Slovenia, Andalucia and Paris-Nice.
Far bigger achievement than 2x Lombardia, Ronde, 2x Strade Bianche, Amstel, Fleche, Montreal, Tre Valli Varesine, Jaen...
Not to mention that he failed to win Milan-San Remo three times finishing 5th, 4th and 3rd, failed at Ronde finishing 4th, and 3rd at the Worlds.
Knowing all this, it is clear that he wants to be a classic specialist, but somehow he fails there and always finds success on the other side, in stage races.

 

[senna6541]

Even if you think that way, my opinion is that MvdP needs to beat Pog if he wants to be called King.

He's very likely to win this year, it's a big win, it's a Monument that no one disputes. But to say that it would re-establish his rule is, I think, exaggerated.

I love Pogi (at least vs. VGGGGG), but MVDP wasn't nearly at his best at RVV last year. His back was still a mess as late as early January 2023 - and it was a mess for a good 17 or so months up until then. Now that he has had a solid run of being 100% healthy he's just reaching his full freakish potential on the road. If he started at the age Pogi did he'd probably have 5 or 6 RVV's by now and probably that many PR's. Pogi has no way to beat a fully healthy MVDP at RVV in a straight fight. Is Pogi better at Lombardia and LBL, and is Pogi the better all-around road racer, sure he is. But MVDP is the better all-around bike racer and the better road racer in 3 of the 5 Monuments. And he completely destroyed Pogi at Worlds last year - probably the ugliest 20 seconds Pogi has ever experienced on the bike...

 

[Froome]

I love Pogi (at least vs. VGGGGG), but MVDP wasn't nearly at his best at RVV last year. His back was still a mess as late as early January 2023 - and it was a mess for a good 17 or so months up until then. Now that he has had a solid run of being 100% healthy he's just reaching his full freakish potential on the road. If he started at the age Pogi did he'd probably have 5 or 6 RVV's by now and probably that many PR's. Pogi has no way to beat a fully healthy MVDP at RVV in a straight fight. Is Pogi better at Lombardia and LBL, and is Pogi the better all-around road racer, sure he is. But MVDP is the better all-around bike racer and the better road racer in 3 of the 5 Monuments. And he completely destroyed Pogi at Worlds last year - probably the ugliest 20 seconds Pogi has ever experienced on the bike...

MVDP should had raced in more defensive way in Flandres last year, he underestimated a little the abilities of Pogacar.