Wout/Crelan split

[Lewis Moon]

Can't say as I blame him. Tired of being a shark in a little pond.
https://www.velonews.com/2018/09/new...rldtour_478987

[chiasticon]

pretty insane given he's racing this Sunday in a World Cup. it takes a good bit of preparation (and money) to get all his stuff to the states for that. then just before leaving, he quits the team and can't use that stuff. he's racing independently. at least we know what his kit will basically look like already...

he was already pretty annoyed with them juggling teams and not contacting him about it. which is stupid given they know he's got one foot out the door already. Sporza mentioned something else happening over the weekend that finally made him say "enough" but that, since it's now a matter between the team and his lawyers, nothing more is known.

[dancinkozmo]

"Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij includes Taco van der Hoorn, who brought in a recent WorldTour stage victory at the BinckBank Tour"

....best name in pro cycling ever !

[adub]

The cycling world is this kid's oyster!

[batman1425]

Originally Posted by chiasticon

pretty insane given he's racing this Sunday in a World Cup. it takes a good bit of preparation (and money) to get all his stuff to the states for that. then just before leaving, he quits the team and can't use that stuff. he's racing independently. at least we know what his kit will basically look like already...

he was already pretty annoyed with them juggling teams and not contacting him about it. which is stupid given they know he's got one foot out the door already. Sporza mentioned something else happening over the weekend that finally made him say "enough" but that, since it's now a matter between the team and his lawyers, nothing more is known.

Pretty interesting how fast the wheels fell off this cart. Merger and communication problems aside, the inability to find some kind of middle ground to keep him in Veranda colors through worlds is telling of the climate of the current situation.

I'm sure Lotto is happy to do whatever they need to at a moments notice to step in for the CX season in exchange for him riding the spring classics under their banner a year early. That said - I wouldn't want to be the person in charge of those logistics.

[93KgBike]

Brave kid. Won't be boxed in. Won't stop racing.

Any Paceliners in Iowa or Wisconsin willing to go support him, should - we could be his unofficial sponsors!

[Jad]

Originally Posted by batman1425

...

I'm sure Lotto is happy to do whatever they need to at a moments notice to step in for the CX season in exchange for him riding the spring classics under their banner a year early. That said - I wouldn't want to be the person in charge of those logistics.

But I wonder if Lotto has much "interest" in the (albeit repeat World Champ) CX side of Wout as a prospect. If he's transitioning to road/classics, etc, would Lotto be careful about his entering a full CX campaign? Wout van Aert is a big billboard for a CX season of course, but is it possible that pushing up his Lotto availability by a spring could affect cyclocross plans?

[BdaGhisallo]

Originally Posted by Jad

But I wonder if Lotto has much "interest" in the (albeit repeat World Champ) CX side of Wout as a prospect. If he's transitioning to road/classics, etc, would Lotto be careful about his entering a full CX campaign? Wout van Aert is a big billboard for a CX season of course, but is it possible that pushing up his Lotto availability by a spring could affect cyclocross plans?

From what I have heard, Lotto is stepping away from sponsorship of the team and Jumbo is taking over as title sponsor. They are looking to expand their supermarkets in Belgium and since cross is massive in Belgium in the winter season, I don't think they'll have any issue supporting his desires to race cross.

[batman1425]

Originally Posted by Jad

But I wonder if Lotto has much "interest" in the (albeit repeat World Champ) CX side of Wout as a prospect. If he's transitioning to road/classics, etc, would Lotto be careful about his entering a full CX campaign? Wout van Aert is a big billboard for a CX season of course, but is it possible that pushing up his Lotto availability by a spring could affect cyclocross plans?

His plan seems to be to eventually transition over to road but he no doubt plants to race CX for the full season ahead and potentially next year as the transition proceeds. Lotto/Jumbo supporting his CX ambitions undoubtedly have to be part of the acquisition costs for getting him a year early. He could go find other sponsors or another team to keep this season rolling, but that doesn't make Lotto/Jumbo look great. If they can fund him, they will. The guys stock has never been more valuable. I'm sure they are happy to put up the funding now for the chance to have him ride even a partial road season with them a year earlier than they originally were hoping, not to mention the good publicity that will no doubt roll in from his CX palmares this year.

[Jad]

Originally Posted by batman1425

His plan seems to be to eventually transition over to road but he no doubt plants to race CX for the full season ahead and potentially next year as the transition proceeds. Lotto/Jumbo supporting his CX ambitions undoubtedly have to be part of the acquisition costs for getting him a year early. He could go find other sponsors or another team to keep this season rolling, but that doesn't make Lotto/Jumbo look great. If they can fund him, they will. The guys stock has never been more valuable. I'm sure they are happy to put up the funding now for the chance to have him ride even a partial road season with them a year earlier than they originally were hoping, not to mention the good publicity that will no doubt roll in from his CX palmares this year.

This makes sense, and I agree that if he's lined up to ride for Lotto/Jumbo, they would want to be a part of his CX season(s). I'm still surprised/impressed though that van Aert could go from his long, awesome CX season last year into a great classics debut. Granted, he was in great shape, but a very specific great shape. I'd think someone would be dubious about the quick transition from CX to classics.

Originally Posted by BdaGhisallo

From what I have heard, Lotto is stepping away from sponsorship of the team and Jumbo is taking over as title sponsor. They are looking to expand their supermarkets in Belgium and since cross is massive in Belgium in the winter season, I don't think they'll have any issue supporting his desires to race cross.

Yes, Wout-friendly supermarkets must be promising in Belgium!

[batman1425]

Originally Posted by Jad

I'm still surprised/impressed though that van Aert could go from his long, awesome CX season last year into a great classics debut. Granted, he was in great shape, but a very specific great shape. I'd think someone would be dubious about the quick transition from CX to classics.

Me too. Full gas 1hr efforts are quite different to the classics. Others have found some success transitioning, Lars Boom and Stybar have done it. To be honest though, I think WVA is in a different league compared to those guys and has a better chance of becoming a perennial spring classics threat/specialist.

[chiasticon]

Originally Posted by batman1425

Me too. Full gas 1hr efforts are quite different to the classics. Others have found some success transitioning, Lars Boom and Stybar have done it. To be honest though, I think WVA is in a different league compared to those guys and has a better chance of becoming a perennial spring classics threat/specialist.

I don't know that Boom and Stybar ever did a full CX season and then raced any classics though, did they? Stybar did win Worlds and then race classics, but he only did a handful of CX races that season. my opinion of Wout's 2017/18 season was that he was prepping for Worlds and Classics all season long, and you could see the better form at the end of the CX season. how he adjusted his training to allow all that to happen, I don't know.

MVdP going to MTB after CX makes a lot more sense though, the training should be similar. but 1.5 hour full gas instead of one hour. plus there was a huge gap (a month or so) after the first MTB World Cup, until the next one. so... try and hold your end of season CX form, tweak it for MTB, rest/recover, then start training for MTB in earnest.

[FlashUNC]

Only need to watch this year's Strade Bianche to see the kid has a massive future in the Classics.

[72gmc]

Originally Posted by Jad

I'm still surprised/impressed though that van Aert could go from his long, awesome CX season last year into a great classics debut.

Long, probably in the wrong way--crossresults.com says he beat Mathieu 5 times and lost to Mathieu 20 times since last September. Awesome, perhaps, in that he still has a knack for race day at the WC.

Last season's protracted thumping has me wondering how long Wout will line up for a full season of cyclocross.

[Jad]

Originally Posted by 72gmc

Long, probably in the wrong way--crossresults.com says he beat Mathieu 5 times and lost to Mathieu 20 times since last September. Awesome, perhaps, in that he still has a knack for race day at the WC.

Last season's protracted thumping has me wondering how long Wout will line up for a full season of cyclocross.

Yeah--certainly best in the end.

Originally Posted by chiasticon

I don't know that Boom and Stybar ever did a full CX season and then raced any classics though, did they? Stybar did win Worlds and then race classics, but he only did a handful of CX races that season. my opinion of Wout's 2017/18 season was that he was prepping for Worlds and Classics all season long, and you could see the better form at the end of the CX season. how he adjusted his training to allow all that to happen, I don't know. ...

You're right--he may well have been doing something different with those races in mind. Didn't he take a break for a special kind of double-down training camp at some point last season? Maybe there was something to that.