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

[Red Rick]

Who's the favourite for MSR is Pogi doesn't ride it?

I'm just assuming he races it, I don't see why he wouldn't.

 

[AmRacer]

I'm just assuming he races it, I don't see why he wouldn't.

He said he won't ride it, there are better ways of prepping for upcoming races, I suppose.

 

[CatchyH]

1st season without a monument win since 2021. Worst set of monument results since 2019. Not great but he's not washed just yet so i'm sure he'll add more wins in the future.

 

[ppanther92]

Well, he was the strongest today and probably would have won a 4th PR (with darkhorse van Aert who also might have had even more - looked at ease in the end).

But even if he probably timed form right, his season looks subpar for his standard. None of MSR, Flanders, PR - did not happen since 2021 where he lost the sprints vs. Asgreen (Flanders) and Colbrelli (PR).

 

[Keldergoat]

In many ways I found his performance Today more impressive than many of his monument wins. What a truly impressive ride.

 

[Berniece]

Clear favorite for Roubaix next year, and 2nd favorite for Sanremo again.

But really he should take a big think about how he wants to appraoch racing against Pogacar in these races.

He won't, but he shoudl.

I hope he's gonna try for the WC in Montreal. It's perhaps slightly on the difficult side for him, but he should be a podium candidate.

If he’s willing to put in the work to lose some weight. Will be too difficult otherwise. Belgium will probably act as a Pogacar leadout again

 

[AmRacer]

If he’s willing to put in the work to lose some weight. Will be too difficult otherwise. Belgium will probably act as a Pogacar leadout again

Wout and Remco at their 2022 could challenge Pogi, like Jonas and Primoz did.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

The fact that he was the first rider there to congratulate Wout, made me a bit of a fan now. That showed a lot of class, as the tension between them has sometimes made me feel like Mathieu was dismissive of Wout. He was extremely gracious, and showed that he is a great competitor. Chapeau Mathieu!

 

[RealKwaremonster]

Thats a wrap on MvdP's spring campaign I guess. What a spring it has been again. Although, as a fan, I would have like to see him add to his monument tally, I can live with how things went.

He won two big classics and some TA stage victories, even that is already more than most riders win in their career.

The streak of (2) monuments each year obviously had to end at some point. While he was great at a lot of moments since 2022, luck also seemed to keep going his way a lot. That luck and some questionable decisionmaking by him and his team catched up to him this spring, but thats cycling. They are not robots. It also gives the team a incentive to look what they can improve again, too much winning usually doesnt help with that.

We cannot know the future, but I see no signs of his decline, his form was good, while at the same time, I see no succesors to the MvdP-WvA.generation to take over yet. So I dont see why he wouldnt win more monuments in the future, even with Pogacar and perhaps Evenepoel around.

 

[RealKwaremonster]

So I dont see why he wouldnt win more monuments in the future, even with Pogacar and perhaps Evenepoel around.

This has the potential to age very badly ofcourse.

 

[Coppi-Bartali]

He has been stronger than ever and this will be the first year since 2022 that he will not win a Monument.

 

[saunaking]

He'll be back. Hopefully at the tour out for results.

 

[LookProGoSlow]

He’s won all there is to win for him. I would love if he’d really tried all in for XC worlds, but his team and sponsor commitments will not let him I’m afraid.

 

[Rou]

I'll say it here. Mvdp after the TDF this year will go to the Vuelta to take the red jersey on the first stages and finish his collection of GT leaders' jerseys.

 

[Keldergoat]

It is a failed spring season for him, but that also shows what the expectations (rightfully so) are around him that anything less than winning a monument is a failed season. Winning Omloop and E3, two stages at Tirreno, and still concluding your spring season is extremely disappointing shows that only he has to be at his utmost best at MSR and PR (I don't see him winning RvV with Pogacar around) to have a successful classics season.