2019 Amstel Gold-who ya got?

[echappist]

Originally Posted by MattTuck

I think that is it. Access to a WorldTour quality roster of teammates. Probably less important when you're a transcendent talent and you're picking and choosing your races to suit you.

If you start riding a full road calendar (which may never be in the cards for him), it becomes very hard to do it alone, or with a weak team. Also, the economics of a team are not very good to begin with. If you have a team built around a single rider and be gets injured, sick, etc. that is a lot of overhead that you have to carry with very little benefit to sponsors.

In a stage race, I'd agree; he'd get tag teamed

In an one-day race, especially the hillier ones, he's not gonna be at a bigger disadvantage than many of other contenders.

Riders for Dudes-in-Knicks aside, most riders are alone at the end.

[Jaybee]

So, should Nino start looking over his shoulder?

[Ruimteaapje]

Originally Posted by JStonebarger

Plus Corendon has the cash and has said it will support going ProTour if the team decides to. Why would MvdP ride for someone else? (Also, his team has surprised more the Mathieu has, with a couple teammates stepping up nicely.)

I realize that road racing fans don't always give a crap about MTB or CX -- how else would anyone not know MvdP & Wout? -- but good for Mathieu for sticking to his plan and racing the way he wants to race. The ProTour can wait.

Indeed, there are definitely a couple of guys in his squad who are prepared to go the extra mile now that they know they're going for the win with Mathieu instead of just some screentime for the sponsor in the early break.

[Andy sti]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

So, should Nino start looking over his shoulder?

The World Cup is going to be pretty interesting this year. Most open it’s been for years.

[crankles]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

So, should Nino start looking over his shoulder?

He already is and even admitted so last year. I'm a huge Nino and MvdP fan so I'll be watching!

Here are the reasons why I think MdvP won, according to me.
1) race radios. live by them, die by them. The rare times I was in a break, the assumption was that the chase was always on *not* that we had it in the bag and could fart around until the kite. I think if JF and JA had pulled their earpieces out, they would have driven it a bit longer.
2) MvdP is a huge talent, no doubt. But what he has over the others is the ability to go deeper than anyone else wants to. He reeeeallly empties the tank (if you've followed cross, you know what I mean). Sure he gets in his head sometimes, but if he's in the hunt I think he can crush himself like no other. I recall an answer from Eddie Merckx when asked why he won so many races. He said it wasnt' his physical talent...he credited others of his era being just as strong. He said " I could just hurt more".

[GregL]

Originally Posted by crankles

1) race radios. live by them, die by them. The rare times I was in a break, the assumption wasthat the chase was on always *not* that we had it in the bag and could fart around until the kite. I think if JF and JA had pulled their earpieces out, they would have driven it a bit longer.

^^This^^

If they had kept up the pace, they would have gotten first and second with a margin of at least a few seconds. MVDP stated in a Cylingtips interview that he thought he was just sprinting for third. He was as surprised an anyone to get the win. Instead, Fuglsang and Alaphilippe get third and forth. Fuglsang is definitely the "almost" rider of 2016 (second at Strade Bianche and Fleche Wallonne, third at Amstel).

Greg

[notsew]

Cyclingtips gaping at MvdP's power data https://cyclingtips.com/2019/04/math...s-amstel-gold/

Turns out the dude is strong.

[Jaybee]

Here's some way-too-early discussion of the logistics around holding all 3 major world titles simultaneously.

[mhespenheide]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

Here's some way-too-early discussion of the logistics around holding all 3 major world titles simultaneously.

I'm nit-picking here, but "all three" world titles ignores the track. Thank you for clarifying "major", unlike the article's title.


(Which is not to say that, with some track training, VdP couldn't be a pursuit champion...)

[Heisenberg]

Originally Posted by notsew

Cyclingtips gaping at MvdP's power data https://cyclingtips.com/2019/04/math...s-amstel-gold/

Turns out the dude is strong.

this confirms the suspicions: he can hurt more than everyone else. nothing about the performance is physically insane, but...

being able to turn 1200w after 6 hours of that is ****ing impressive - that takes serious mental hardness.

[echappist]

Originally Posted by Heisenberg

this confirms the suspicions: he can hurt more than everyone else. nothing about the performance is physically insane, but...

being able to turn 1200w after 6 hours of that is ****ing impressive - that takes serious mental hardness.

the under-appreciated aspect of classics racing is that in the final hour, most rider (even the podium finishers) are just completely knackered. I recall seeing the file for Kwiatek's E3 win and a similar sort of file for someone else. The power for the last 30-45 minutes is actually quite a bit lower than what we'd expect, around 330W, if that. Of course, there's quite a bit of coasting, drafting, and hard efforts, which makes the AP low and the NP quite a bit higher, but overall, 330W is what a decent cat 1 does for the last hour of a 80 mile road race. Doesn't seem all that impressive, but it really is, within the right context

M vdP rode on the front from the penultimate climb (the one that saw Trentin gapped momentarily) until ~800 m, when a few riders swung in front momentarily. He then put in a last effort to close the gap and then sprinted. The power files of his break companion De Marchi (who finished 7th) is also available. M vdP pulled this entire section (~10 minutes) averaging 400 W; De Marchi averaged 340 W. When M vdP opened his sprint, he peaked at 1400 W and averaged ~1250 W for 12 seconds; De Marchi peaked at 900 W, this, after sitting on. While not on the level of the cycling A-grade stars, De Marchi has a palmares that would be the envy of many pros. That he couldn't crack 900 W after sitting on, while M vdP unleashed 1200+ W sprint really shows just how good M vdP is

edit: I mis-remembered the fact. Took out the factually incorrect part

[Zee]

That power file and overall closing details were pretty remarkable.

I just hope he's clean.

[Heisenberg]

Originally Posted by Zee

That power file and overall closing details were pretty remarkable.

I just hope he's clean.

i'm inclined to say yes. the power numbers aren't abnormal. adrenaline is amazing, and being able to tap it like that...

i hope he doesn't burn out.

[azrider]

Originally Posted by echappist

the under-appreciated aspect of classics racing is that in the final hour, most rider (even the podium finishers) are just completely knackered. I recall seeing the file for Kwiatek's E3 win and a similar sort of file for someone else. The power for the last 30-45 minutes is actually quite a bit lower than what we'd expect, around 330W, if that. Of course, there's quite a bit of coasting, drafting, and hard efforts, which makes the AP low and the NP quite a bit higher, but overall, 330W is what a decent cat 1 does for the last hour of a 80 mile road race. Doesn't seem all that impressive, but it really is, within the right context

M vdP rode on the front from the penultimate climb (the one that saw Trentin gapped momentarily) until ~800 m, when a few riders swung in front momentarily. He then put in a last effort to close the gap and then sprinted. The power files of his break companion De Marchi (who finished 7th) is also available. M vdP pulled this entire section (~10 minutes) averaging 400 W; De Marchi averaged 340 W. When M vdP opened his sprint, he peaked at 1400 W and averaged ~1250 W for 12 seconds; De Marchi peaked at 900 W, this, after sitting on. While not on the level of the cycling A-grade stars, De Marchi has a palmares that would be the envy of many pros. That he couldn't crack 900 W after sitting on, while M vdP unleashed 1200+ W sprint really shows just how good M vdP is

edit: I mis-remembered the fact. Took out the factually incorrect part

Amazing....great info here. Thx for sharing

Originally Posted by Heisenberg

i'm inclined to say yes. the power numbers aren't abnormal. adrenaline is amazing, and being able to tap it like that...

i hope he doesn't burn out.

Yeah I’d be more concerned about him burning out than being doper at this point

[geordanh]

Of everyone that has risen to stardom in cycling the past number of years, I have the least worries of all about MVDP being a doper. He has been consistently incredible from a young age, demonstrating a natural talent far and above average for a long time. It's not to rule it out, but seeing what he's doing on the road is no surprise after how dominant he's been in other disciplines, where frankly, the benefits of doping, like the type you can still get away with, are in my opinion less.

The reason people like froome attract so much scrutiny is that they went from zero to hero in such a short period of time well into their professional careers.