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

[dazaau]

Solid ride today MvdP!
Back in yellow for another day!

Not sure it was worth it given how cooked he was at the end - stage win over another day in yellow every time. I will of course be very happy to be proven wrong if mvdp somehow wins in yellow tomorrow 😍

 

[red_flanders]

Not sure it was worth it given how cooked he was at the end - stage win over another day in yellow every time. I will of course be very happy to be proven wrong if mvdp somehow wins in yellow tomorrow 😍

I wonder if yellow isn't more important to him than we might otherwise think, given how tantalizingly close his grandfather came to it, but never quite getting it.

Or maybe he just cracked. Super tough day to stay away.

 

[dazaau]

I wonder if yellow isn't more important to him than we might otherwise think, given how tantalizingly close his grandfather came to it, but never quite getting it.

Or maybe he just cracked. Super tough day to stay away.

Given he will be racing at the scene of his first TdF Victory and Yellow Jersey to honor his grandfather by impossibly attacking the same climb twice for boni seconds and taking the win by enough to take yellow- I hope he has the same motivation and legs tomorrow

 

[red_flanders]

Given he will be racing at the scene of his first TdF Victory and Yellow Jersey to honor his grandfather by impossibly attacking the same climb twice for boni seconds and taking the win by enough to take yellow- I hope he has the same motivation and legs tomorrow

Would be pretty incredible after today.

 

[Gratemans]

Would be pretty incredible after today.

Exactly. And the whole 'grandpa yellow jersey' thing was already dealt with. He's won here before. I think he's knackered right now and I don't believe he'll go all in tomorrow to win at the Mûr again.

 

[dazaau]

Exactly. And the whole 'grandpa yellow jersey' thing was already dealt with. He's won here before. I think he's knackered right now and I don't believe he'll go all in tomorrow to win at the Mûr again.

This is what my head says, he is cooked. But I want to believe!

 

[Ripper]

Anybody wonder if he threw the race on Stage 4?

 

[jono]

Not sure it was worth it given how cooked he was at the end - stage win over another day in yellow every time. I will of course be very happy to be proven wrong if mvdp somehow wins in yellow tomorrow 😍

I don't think the stage win on Mur-de-Bretagne was particularly likely no matter how much of an effort he put in today.

Or put another way, if Pogacar wants to win that stage, he will.

 

[Gratemans]

Anybody wonder if he threw the race on Stage 4?

No?

 

[Ripper]

No?

I couldn't quite make out why he looks like he stopped pedaling and looked around before the finish line

 

[dazaau]

I couldn't quite make out why he looks like he stopped pedaling and looked around before the finish line

Because his legs said no and he was checking if he had to make them die the death to keep second place as first was not going to happen.

 

[HashRouge]

Because his legs said no and he was checking if he had to make them die the death to keep second place as first was not going to happen.

This. There is 0% chance that van der Poel throws a race, he is exactly like Pogacar in that regard.

 

[fenns]

Leave aside the question of if he will or should chase it, but is there a reasonable path to MVDP taking the green jersey?

To me it seems if Milan doesn't to the job, it likely goes to Pogacar in the end.

I guess it may come down to the fact that through supporting JP he missed chances for points in stage 1.

He'd need to contest and finish well in all the remaining flat stage intermediate and final sprints - and pick up points where Milan and Birmay will be out of contention.

there are some intermediate sprints with hills before them where even a steady pace will drop milan but mvdp can hang-on to contest

over to you Alpecin-Deceuninck

 

[Red Rick]

This. There is 0% chance that van der Poel throws a race, he is exactly like Pogacar in that regard.

Wdym he threw today's stage yesterday

 

[dr.eve]

I guess it may come down to the fact that through supporting JP he missed chances for points in stage 1.

He'd need to contest and finish well in all the remaining flat stage intermediate and final sprints - and pick up points where Milan and Birmay will be out of contention.

there are some intermediate sprints with hills before them where even a steady pace will drop milan but mvdp can hang-on to contest

over to you Alpecin-Deceuninck

We will know tomorrow and sunday if MVDP goes for green.

With JP gone I do not understand if he doesn't try.

Then again, to me it's clear that MVDP isn't made or trained enough for these GT's, he goes into these stages like one day classics and is cooked (he himself states this).

MVDP won 2 stages in the tour, had the yellow jersey several days... I think its time for him to skip the tour next years. Focus on the classical do his MTB thing properly instead of tour or focus on. World Championship if suitable course comes along.

I even think he can better focus fully on Liege and stuff then the Tour.

 

[dazaau]

Wdym he threw today's stage yesterday

Pog won the stage today when he convinced Alpecin and MVdP to go for the break and get yellow. Genius. Chapeau to the GOAT and his tactics, didn't make for great viewing today though.

 

[Gigs_98]

This guy outside of like 5 racedays per year is far and beyond the most overrated rider in the peloton. It's just that those 5 days per year are enough to make him an all time great

 

[Breh]

Sponsors won't allow him to skip le Tour, he's just too big a star.

 

[jono]

This guy outside of like 5 racedays per year is far and beyond the most overrated rider in the peloton. It's just that those 5 days per year are enough to make him an all time great

In a way MVDP is less alien than some of the others in that he can't repeat his monstrous outputs day after day.

 

[Red Rick]

This guy outside of like 5 racedays per year is far and beyond the most overrated rider in the peloton. It's just that those 5 days per year are enough to make him an all time great

Needs a holiday in Spain to have a great day.

You just wait until Matty discovers La Vuelta.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

I expect him to finish the Tour now Philipsen is out; though I'd prefer him to do another week and quit - and start preparing on the MTB.....

 

[Ancalagon]

Interesting interview after yesterday's stage
MVDP himself admits he doesn’t understand how GC riders recover day after day. He’s clearly showing his limits in stage racing — he just can’t sustain top form over the course of multiple intense days. He’s a pure one-day specialist, no doubt.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Interesting interview after yesterday's stage
MVDP himself admits he doesn’t understand how GC riders recover day after day. He’s clearly showing his limits in stage racing — he just can’t sustain top form over the course of multiple intense days. He’s a pure one-day specialist, no doubt.

This is where WVA is clearly better than him.

 

[AmRacer]

Without meandering over to the Clinic MVDP really makes a valid point here. It's absolutely bonkers that Pog can match any rider on any terrain on any course day after day after day. He could probably have taken every stage up until today should he have wanted.

With Jonas at his wheel

 

[Unchained]

van der Poel is an outstanding talent.. Not much is discussed about obvious great progress he has made on previous knee and back issues he experienced. Guy looks 100%..He is fun to watch on and off the bike. He has a style that inspiring.. Awesome abilities!!