Mathieu Van Der Poel is coming...

[gbcoupe]

Presumably, he's better prepared for the road this year. I half expect him to win everything he enters. Well... maybe not a Grand Tour if that happens.

[Elefantino]

Originally Posted by gbcoupe

Presumably, he's better prepared for the road this year. I half expect him to win everything he enters. Well... maybe not a Grand Tour if that happens.

The question becomes, when MVDP enters a race, "who finishes second?"

[superbowlpats]

MVDP is simply on another planet. Its remarkable to see someone crush the worlds best.

[chiasticon]

Originally Posted by Elefantino

The question becomes, when MVDP enters a race, "who finishes second?"

I know you mean for the road but that's been the question in cross for quite some time now. he's lost three cross races in the last two years. 25 races this season, 24 wins. last year, he had one bad day and one dnf after rolling his ankle (then won the next day).

but back to that question: the answer yesterday was Tom Pidcock. an excellent result for him and for sure another name to be watching.

[tctyres]

Originally Posted by Elefantino

The question becomes, when MVDP enters a race, "who finishes second?"

It's kind of like a Marianne Vos replay 7 years later.

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by Elefantino

The question becomes, when MVDP enters a race, "who finishes second?"

This has also been the case in XC and short track for some time. Really, the road is the only place where teamwork matters enough that he can be beaten, unless he beats himself.

[m_sasso]

As an u23 junior racing in the elite open class, Pidcock's performance was every bit comparable to Van Der Poel's. Those were some power sapping, tough muddy conditions.

[Jaybee]

Go get it, Matthieu

[Dave B]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

Go get it, Matthieu

Love it! When riders are becoming more and more specialized, here is a pro who wants to do it all...and is having tremendous success.

Exciting

[oldpotatoe]

Ever the pro, he booked a hotel at 1,800m. A little altitude benefit even while skiing doesn’t hurt ahead of his busy spring calendar.

Pretty funny..being at altitude and growing a few more red blood cells lasts what, a couple of weeks?

BUT here he comes.

https://www.velonews.com/2020/02/new...ad-mode_505060

[chiasticon]

just wanna throw this out there...

I've watched every race mvdp has done this cx season. he's never raced on the bikes he did at the world championship. like, at all. he raced three bikes there (at least, could have been more as at least two were the same colorway). the week before in Hoogerheide and all races prior he was on one of five world champ-fashioned bikes. but for this race the bikes were more generic (but still somewhat custom for the team). he changed bikes every half-lap (for the most part). so that meant that when he changed there was one bike already being cleaned up, one for him to take, and another he's handing off, ready to be cleaned. very little room for error. but it went flawlessly.

as a bike/wrench nerd this is fascinating. I know his father (his main pit wrench) knows a ton about bikes. but to build at least three bikes in a week and have a crew turning them over in the pit with zero issues, with the world championship on the line...? tremendous. he's phenomenal, for sure. but he certainly stands on the shoulders of giants.

[tctyres]

Originally Posted by chiasticon

I know his father (his main pit wrench) knows a ton about bikes. but to build at least three bikes in a week and have a crew turning them over in the pit with zero issues, with the world championship on the line...? tremendous. he's phenomenal, for sure. but he certainly stands on the shoulders of giants.

His father is a legend in his own right. He's a bit more than a "wrench." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adri_van_der_Poel

The impressive thing is that they had that schedule of maintenance worked out ahead of time for the conditions. They probably built those bikes up in an afternoon and tested them the next day.

[chiasticon]

Originally Posted by tctyres

His father is a legend in his own right. He's a bit more than a "wrench." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adri_van_der_Poel

oh I'm well aware of who his father is (and grandfather). didn't mean to down-play that!

[gbcoupe]

Mr. MVDP hasn't lost his step at cross. Wow!

[gavingould]

good race this morning, the Sauce boys gave him a good run there for a couple laps... MvdP is at maybe 85% and Iserbyt is in pretty top form?