• The Cycling News forum is still looking to add volunteer moderators with. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Volta ao Algarve 2024 - 2.Pro (February 14-18)

Page 3 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
DNP-Old

DNP-Old

Aug 6, 2014
9,848
7,051
23,180
Visit site
www.hln.be

Wout van Aert over ander programma: “Zal pijnlijk zijn om Strade en Sanremo op televisie te zien”

Na de Spaanse opwarmertjes gaat Wout van Aert morgen van start in de Ronde van de Algarve. VTM Nieuws-sportanker Stijn Vlaeminck kon hem spreken over de Portugese rittenkoers, maar uiteraard ook over wat komt. “Het zal pijn doen om de Strade Bianche en Milaan-Sanremo te moeten missen, maar ik...
www.hln.be www.hln.be

Wout is doubling down, pathetic. Even Jan Bakelants, a.k.a. WoutVanAertN1Fan, appears to be critical. Incredible behaviour for someone who yelled 'Ik moet juist niks' in a microphone.
 
Berniece

Berniece

Sep 12, 2022
4,857
6,217
14,180
Visit site
DNP-Old said:
www.hln.be

Wout van Aert over ander programma: “Zal pijnlijk zijn om Strade en Sanremo op televisie te zien”

Na de Spaanse opwarmertjes gaat Wout van Aert morgen van start in de Ronde van de Algarve. VTM Nieuws-sportanker Stijn Vlaeminck kon hem spreken over de Portugese rittenkoers, maar uiteraard ook over wat komt. “Het zal pijn doen om de Strade Bianche en Milaan-Sanremo te moeten missen, maar ik...
www.hln.be www.hln.be

Wout is doubling down, pathetic. Even Jan Bakelants, a.k.a. WoutVanAertN1Fan, appears to be critical. Incredible behaviour for someone who yelled 'Ik moet juist niks' in a microphone.
Click to expand...
After stage 2 we'll know more. I can't imagine him finish close to the best in stage 2, then do very well during the TT, basically on the podium in GC, and then just let it ride in stage 5.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
tobydawq

tobydawq

Nov 16, 2013
24,569
24,402
28,180
Visit site
DNP-Old said:
www.hln.be

Wout van Aert over ander programma: “Zal pijnlijk zijn om Strade en Sanremo op televisie te zien”

Na de Spaanse opwarmertjes gaat Wout van Aert morgen van start in de Ronde van de Algarve. VTM Nieuws-sportanker Stijn Vlaeminck kon hem spreken over de Portugese rittenkoers, maar uiteraard ook over wat komt. “Het zal pijn doen om de Strade Bianche en Milaan-Sanremo te moeten missen, maar ik...
www.hln.be www.hln.be

Wout is doubling down, pathetic. Even Jan Bakelants, a.k.a. WoutVanAertN1Fan, appears to be critical. Incredible behaviour for someone who yelled 'Ik moet juist niks' in a microphone.
Click to expand...

What exactly is the problem here?
 
DNP-Old

DNP-Old

Aug 6, 2014
9,848
7,051
23,180
Visit site
tobydawq said:
What exactly is the problem here?
Click to expand...
The problem is that Wout has let this monuments-or-nothing mentality get into his head at such a degree that he is approaching some of these preparation races like they are a risk, almost a danger. All winter (and the previous two, for that matter) he has been talking about how he needs to save energy in his build-up whatever the cost, because any effort here might cost him some day in Vlaanderen or Roubaix. We have now reached a point where a +/- seven minute effort on Malhão appears to be a no-no for something that might happen, could happen sometime in April. It is just silly.

Belgian media, and I must admit often unfairly, write and/or speak about monuments being the only thing that matters in regards to Wout, and it would appear these criticisms now have a permanent, rent free stay in his head, resulting in him actually believing this mantra. Nobody expects him to go all into the red just for a low level race like Algarve (although it would be a nice addition to his to be desired palmares), but there is a big gap between going all out and throwing the towel prematurely for a hypothetical situation that has no substance.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan, hayneplane, Didinho and 3 others
tobydawq

tobydawq

Nov 16, 2013
24,569
24,402
28,180
Visit site
DNP-Old said:
The problem is that Wout has let this monuments-or-nothing mentality get into his head at such a degree that he is approaching some of these preparation races like they are a risk, almost a danger. All winter (and the previous two, for that matter) he has been talking about how he needs to save energy in his build-up whatever the cost, because any effort here might cost him some day in Vlaanderen or Roubaix. We have now reached a point where a +/- seven minute effort on Malhão appears to be a no-no for something that might happen, could happen sometime in April. It is just silly.

Belgian media, and I must admit often unfairly, write and/or speak about monuments being the only thing that matters in regards to Wout, and it would appear these criticisms now have a permanent, rent free stay in his head, resulting in him actually believing this mantra. Nobody expects him to go all into the red just for a low level race like Algarve (although it would be a nice addition to his to be desired palmares), but there is a big gap between going all out and throwing the towel prematurely for a hypothetical situation that has no substance.
Click to expand...

But he says he wants to go for the three hard stages and not participate in the bunch sprints. I read the "not going for GC" as "I don't really believe I can beat Remco as I haven't practiced a lot on my TT bike over the winter, but I won't lose time on purpose".

Not participating in Strade and MSR is absolute crap, though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan and red_flanders
Logic-is-your-friend

Logic-is-your-friend

Jun 7, 2011
19,895
18,406
28,180
Visit site
tobydawq said:
But he says he wants to go for the three hard stages and not participate in the bunch sprints. I read the "not going for GC" as "I don't really believe I can beat Remco as I haven't practiced a lot on my TT bike over the winter, but I won't lose time on purpose".

Not participating in Strade and MSR is absolute crap, though.
Click to expand...
He could also say that he intends to do the best he can, but doesn't expect it to be enough to win. Ganna and Küng have been top 5/top 3 the past years, that means if he actually tries, he is fully capable to get on the podium, perhaps even more. If he would go for bonus seconds in sprints (and let's be fair, there are no top tier sprinters here so competition is weak) he could have a nice buffer.

Edit: just heard the interview... he does want to go for the three hardest stages to try and win. He will not get involved in the sprints. But he's not going for GC. So basically he is going to try and win all the stages the GC guys are aiming for, but he will somehow not go for GC. Perhaps he will lose time on purpose in the sprint stages, lol.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan and tobydawq
Didinho

Didinho

Jan 10, 2019
4,878
7,192
16,180
Visit site
And if he gets sick or crashes right before the classics you get nothing. He could just go for it. Nobody is in top shape, so he can get some stage wins here.

Maybe he loses time on purpose in the first sprint stage so he can get away without the climbers following him immediately and try to get some wins this way. (After a year with only 2(?) wins maybe a different approach). He’s not gonna sprint anymore because it’s too much effort.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
EddyMazzoleni

EddyMazzoleni

Apr 26, 2023
335
556
2,880
Visit site
Logic-is-your-friend said:
He could also say that he intends to do the best he can, but doesn't expect it to be enough to win. Ganna and Küng have been top 5/top 3 the past years, that means if he actually tries, he is fully capable to get on the podium, perhaps even more. If he would go for bonus seconds in sprints (and let's be fair, there are no top tier sprinters here so competition is weak) he could have a nice buffer.

Edit: just heard the interview... he does want to go for the three hardest stages to try and win. He will not get involved in the sprints. But he's not going for GC. So basically he is going to try and win all the stages the GC guys are aiming for, but he will somehow not go for GC. Perhaps he will lose time on purpose in the sprint stages, lol.
Click to expand...
I understand avoiding bunch sprinting, as you don't want to be caught in crash at this time of the season if you are Van Aert, but the think about trying to win the only 3 GC relevant stages while not going for GC is absurd.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Logic-is-your-friend and red_flanders
Blanco

Blanco

Jun 6, 2017
6,066
3,608
23,180
Visit site
Berniece said:
That I honestly understand, if you want to do altitude training before the big classics season starts
Click to expand...
I don't. Strade ok, it's maybe too early for such a hard race. But Milan-San Remo, why the hell you won't ride a monument that suits you like a glove. He can be a contender in every scenario in that race, and you doesn't need to be at 100% to win it, unlike Roubaix and Ronde. So basically he just need to move his altitude training for a week or two and ride it. MSR is still, along with Roubaix, his best chance for a monument win.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan, hayneplane, scribers and 6 others
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom