Quote:
Originally Posted by prototoast
Wout is 100% the better stage racer, and it's not even close. Van der Poel has yet to prove he can make it to the second week of a grand tour without being completely depleted, but Wout keeps winning stages all the way to the end.
Van der Poel seems to be the better one-day racer. They're both always marked riders, but VdP has a stronger acceleration which helps him make the moves, whereas Van Aert seems to have trouble getting away.
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To me, It's all by design. Wout transitioned to the road sooner than MVdP and to a road oriented team with road ambitions. He's successful at it since that's where his training has focused. Mathieu went to a much smaller team that would allow his MTB ambition. Alpecin couldn't even get a bid to the tour his first year, no?
So comparing the two in stage races is like trying to compare them in MTB races.
When it comes to one days, Mathieu has the advantage Mano-a mano, and probably for the reasons you describe. Wout needs to win flat like Cancellera of old. Get away and TT it to the finish. If he gets a gap, he's not going to be caught without help if at all. He just can't get away as easily as Maybe Mathieu. but if he can, he's going to be harder to reel in the Mathieu would be...
He won MSR when he was able to latch on to alaphilipe, who just doens't have 200 meter efforts at 1500 gajillion watts.