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Velo d’Or 2024

Which 5 riders would get your votes for the men's Velo d'Or?


  • Total voters
    61
  • Poll closed .
A more pertinent question for this year is, who will win the Eddy Merckx trophy (for the best classics rider)? Van der Poel again or Pogačar?
They'll probably give it to Pogacar, but there's a case to be made for MVDP. He threw away his own chance for a win at MSR to get a victory for his teammate. He finished 3rd in LBL and 3rd in WC, both courses not really suited for him. While Pogacar didn't race Flanders and Roubaix.

If you only look to wins, it's for Pogacar, but when you look at the whole picture, I would think MVDP was the better classics rider this year.
 
They'll probably give it to Pogacar, but there's a case to be made for MVDP. He threw away his own chance for a win at MSR to get a victory for his teammate. He finished 3rd in LBL and 3rd in WC, both courses not really suited for him. While Pogacar didn't race Flanders and Roubaix.

If you only look to wins, it's for Pogacar, but when you look at the whole picture, I would think MVDP was the better classics rider this year.

Based on results alone, I don't think it makes sense for Van der Poel to win the trophy this year:

Pogačar
1st at the Worlds
1st in LBL
1st in Lombardia
1st in Strade
1st in GP Montreal
3rd in MSR

Van der Poel
1st in Ronde
1st in Roubaix
1st in E3
3rd at the Worlds
3rd in LBL
2nd in GW

While Van der Poel also had a great classics season, he missed the medals in the Olympics and was unable to win the Worlds and LBL (I don't include MSR because as you said he rode for Philipsen). Meanwhile Pogačar only missed the win in MSR and the same argument that you used for Van der Poel in LBL or even the Worlds applies to him there.

Having said that, it wouldn't shock me if they give this minor trophy to Van der Poel again just because Pogačar will obviously take the Velo d'Or.
 
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They'll probably give it to Pogacar, but there's a case to be made for MVDP. He threw away his own chance for a win at MSR to get a victory for his teammate. He finished 3rd in LBL and 3rd in WC, both courses not really suited for him. While Pogacar didn't race Flanders and Roubaix.

If you only look to wins, it's for Pogacar, but when you look at the whole picture, I would think MVDP was the better classics rider this year.
1. Pogacar beat MVP in 3 classics. MVP didn't beat Pogi this year.
2. Pogacar won 2 monuments + 1 WC, MVP only won 2 monuments.
3. Pogacar won GdL and WC against better fields. MVP didn't have the opposition of WVA and Pogi in the cobbled classics. Pogacar beat his biggest rival (Remco) in this type of races.

There isn't really a case about who was the best classics rider.
 
1. Pogacar beat MVP in 3 classics. MVP didn't beat Pogi this year.
2. Pogacar won 2 monuments + 1 WC, MVP only won 2 monuments.
3. Pogacar won GdL and WC against better fields. MVP didn't have the opposition of WVA and Pogi in the cobbled classics. Pogacar beat his biggest rival (Remco) in this type of races.

There isn't really a case about who was the best classics rider.
1. MSR doesn't count since MVDP rode for Philipsen, LBL and WC weren't even suited for him
2. Sure
3. Remco wasn't even in proper shape during WC and Lombardia.
 
Remco always says his shape was great. Competition was indeed better but that doesn’t change the result. Pogacar has the best team riding for him, MVDP has to do a lot alone.
How dare you to say something like this? Eheheheh. Please, just take a look again in 2024 PR. Jasper was 2nd and Veermesh was 7th, he had by far the best team. In Flandres, his team controlled the race perfectly before his attack just like UAE in LBL or GdL. So your point is obviously invalid.
And do you know why Pogacar attacked from 100 km to go in Zurich? Because his team was trash.

Remco doesn't say he is always in shape, you are not right again. He said several times he was far from his best shape before and during Dauphiné.
 
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How dare you to say something like this? Eheheheh. Please, just take a look again in 2024 PR. Jasper was 2nd and Veermesh was 7th, he had by far the best team. In Flandres, his team controlled the race perfectly before his attack just like UAE in LBL or GdL. So your point is obviously invalid.
And do you know why Pogacar attacked from 100 km to go in Zurich? Because his team was trash.

Remco doesn't say he is always in shape, you are not right again. He said several times he was far from his best shape before and during Dauphiné.
No, the slovenian team wasn't trash. Roglic, tratnik, novak.