Who is the better Classics cyclist between Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel?

[bNator]

Who said it was the same? I talked about van der poel dropping a watts bomb.

We were talking about MvdP having “anaerobic bomb” advantage over Pog. That may have been apparent in MSR but in WCRR it was something completely different. It was pure endurance where Pog was just wasted after hours of hard racing. Maybe that coincided with the bomb as well, bit the main reason is endurance in my opinion…

 

[RedheadDane]

Van Aert, clearly:

 

[AmRacer]

Van Aert, clearly:

Was waiting for this one.

 

[Breh]

This "joke" is literally on the first page tho.

 

[senna6541]

It's also worth noting van der Poel had 0 monuments when he was pogs current age.

Yeah, but he'd won about a billion races in the discipline that he actually focused on. If were talking best one day racer, what about MVDP's insane record in CX?

 

[senna6541]

It's actually scary to think about how many Classics and Monuments MVDP would have won by now if he started on the road as early as guys like Pogi and Remco do now. My guess is he would be about to break Boonen's RVV record and would have 3 PR's by now.

 

[senna6541]

Case in point RVV in 2019 when he was already 24. Literally %'s stronger than anyone else in the race w/o even focusing on the road even at that point in his career.

 

[iBanesto]

 

[KZD]

I think the user that created the thread could have specified if this is just about trade team races or also about national team races.

Assuming that we are talking about all relevant one-day races, its almost impossible to put Pogačar ahead. I think some of the users that voted Pogačar did so because he has even a bigger ability as a one-day rider than Van der Poel however if we look at the impressive palmarés that both of them currently have, Van der Poel world title stands apart and on the other metrics both of them are quite close, Pogačar has one monument win more but both have won 3 different monuments while Van der Poel has more podium finishes and on other classics I think both of them are quite close though Pogačar has been winning more of those recently.

Now by the end of their careers, I would be really surprised if Pogačar doesn't end up ahead.

 

[hayneplane]

Both have 9 top 5 finishes in monuments at a crazily high ratio but Pogi is 9/12 starts compared to MVDP 9/14 starts.

 

[Blanco]

I think the user that created the thread could have specified if this is just about trade team races or also about national team races.

Assuming that we are talking about all relevant one-day races, its almost impossible to put Pogačar ahead. I think some of the users that voted Pogačar did so because he has even a bigger ability as a one-day rider than Van der Poel however if we look at the impressive palmarés that both of them currently have, Van der Poel world title stands apart and on the other metrics both of them are quite close, Pogačar has one monument win more but both have won 3 different monuments while Van der Poel has more podium finishes and on other classics I think both of them are quite close though Pogačar has been winning more of those recently.

Now by the end of their careers, I would be really surprised if Pogačar doesn't end up ahead.

It really looks that way, cause Pogacar is 3 years younger. But I have a feeling it will be opposite, that Van Der Poel will end up as a more succesful classics rider.
I think Van Der Poel will last longer, and after this year I think he will fully focus on the road career, aka the classics, cause these are the races that will lead him directly into pantheon of greats of this sport.
Pogacar on the other hand, I think will burn quicker than Mathieu. He emerged as a youngster, he targets everything, his style is relentlessly atacking... If he doesn't change his approach, I'm afraid he won't last that long, and plus I have a feeling due to his relative Grand Tour failure last two years, that he will more and more want to turn focus to these races.

 

[AmRacer]

It really looks that way, cause Pogacar is 3 years younger. But I have a feeling it will be opposite, that Van Der Poel will end up as a more succesful classics rider.
I think Van Der Poel will last longer, and after this year I think he will fully focus on the road career, aka the classics, cause these are the races that will lead him directly into pantheon of greats of this sport.
Pogacar on the other hand, I think will burn quicker than Mathieu. He emerged as a youngster, he targets everything, his style is relentlessly atacking... If he doesn't change his approach, I'm afraid he won't last that long, and plus I have a feeling due to his relative Grand Tour failure last two years, that he will more and more want to turn focus to these races.

Pog has 2 GTs and 2 monument to win, and Worlds of course.

 

[Nick2413]

Pog has a better chance of winning all 5 but I voted MVdP. Might have to change it after thinking more though.

 

[Bolder]

It's actually scary to think about how many Classics and Monuments MVDP would have won by now if he started on the road as early as guys like Pogi and Remco do now. My guess is he would be about to break Boonen's RVV record and would have 3 PR's by now.

This, amazing that he and Wout spent so many years chasing each other around muddy city parks in Belgium.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Van Aert, clearly:

He cheated with an illegal chain lubricant to win a small semi classic after wheelsucking pog and vdp for 80km. This is the level that Belge pozzato carreeir has sunk to!!!!

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

I categorically refuse to participate in this type of votings.
I have about a gazillion times more pleasure in simply enjoying the new generation of riders who gift us with so many incredible watchable bike races.
I personally don't need to put them in a patronizing "once and for all" pecking order .
I'll just sit back and enoy.

 

[KZD]

It really looks that way, cause Pogacar is 3 years younger. But I have a feeling it will be opposite, that Van Der Poel will end up as a more succesful classics rider.
I think Van Der Poel will last longer, and after this year I think he will fully focus on the road career, aka the classics, cause these are the races that will lead him directly into pantheon of greats of this sport.
Pogacar on the other hand, I think will burn quicker than Mathieu. He emerged as a youngster, he targets everything, his style is relentlessly atacking... If he doesn't change his approach, I'm afraid he won't last that long, and plus I have a feeling due to his relative Grand Tour failure last two years, that he will more and more want to turn focus to these races.

The thing is that the road ahead isn't that straightforward for Van der Poel either. First of all, next year he is also targetting the Olympic MTB race and could be deterimental to his chances in the road race where, in my opinion, he would be the favourite in normal circumstances.

Then assuming that he drops mountain biking after the Olympics, he will still face the choice of trying to win Roubaix and Sanremo more times (together with Flanders) or dropping a few kilos trying to win Liège and Lombardia in an eventual strive for 5 and this would potential be more important for his career than for Pogačar's because he is not able to win Grand Tours.

As for Pogačar, I agree that he will focus a bit more in Grand Tours for the next 2/3 seasons but even if he goes down that road, he can still ride Liège, Lombardia and the Worlds like he successfully did in 2021. And I have a feeling that after winning the Giro and the Vuelta (possibly another Tour win as well), Pogačar will shift his focus to one-day races, trying to win Roubaix and Sanremo, Worlds too if he doesn't win in the next seasons. Whether he will be burnout by then, I guess time will tell but I don't expect him to really decline before 30.

 

[scribers]

It wasn’t that long ago riders were considered hitting their prime from 27 to 32 (maybe a little before or after)

 

[Oldermanish]

It's actually scary to think about how many Classics and Monuments MVDP would have won by now if he started on the road as early as guys like Pogi and Remco do now. My guess is he would be about to break Boonen's RVV record and would have 3 PR's by now.

Realistically he's reaped the benefits of a largely solo career. He definitely has the talent to do much more but also needs the team commitment. Are there signs of any super priorities for him on the Road? He's got the WC so there are targets a'plenty out there.

Pogacar seems to have his formula down. Don't get hurt; win.