Wout van Aert appreciation thread
Comments
-
Cycling ain't a ball game.RichN95. said:
But those who win the World's generally also win a monument. It's not like it's different discipline. I'd say that if you've not won the Tour or the Worlds you're out of contention.No_Ta_Doctor said:
RichN95: "Rainbows is basically another monument though."
No, because you only get one shot per year, and the parcours varies, so there will be at least a few editions during your career that don't suit you at all. If you haven't got a GT win then you need a fair few monuments to qualify if you've never won the World's.
Besides, greatness doesn't require versatility. This doesn't happen in other sports. No-one cares about Tom Brady's defence, Viv Richards's bowling, Lionel Messi's defensive work or Rafa Nadal's doubles record.0 -
rick_chasey said:
Cycling ain't a ball game.
OK. No-one mentions Usian Bolt's long jump, Adam Peatty's butterfly or Lewis Hamilton's LeMans 24Twitter: @RichN950 -
WVA is amazing, but MvdP is better. Not at each individual thing, but in total. Their record against each other clearly displays this.PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 20232
-
Why do we have to compare and contrast all the time? It's a terrible affliction that seems to affect cycling fans more than most.
We're experiencing a golden age, enjoy it for what it is.2 -
I think WVA is incredible and, as Rick rightly says, there is no better rider suited to any terrain right now. MVDP is incredible too, but for slightly different reasons and the same can be said for Pogacar and might be said about Evenepoel and Pidcock in a season or two.0
-
Because some people tend to make over the top statements such as that WvA is best rider this century.andyp said:Why do we have to compare and contrast all the time? It's a terrible affliction that seems to affect cycling fans more than most.
We're experiencing a golden age, enjoy it for what it is.
I remember Boycott's annoyance when asked if Ponting was the best batsman of all time. He said that such a question meant he had to say something negative because Ponting wasn't as good as Bradman or Richards. Instead he wanted to talk about how he was a great batsmen playing his best cricket and that it was amazing to watch.2 -
He's a half decent rider but chronically overhyped to the point that I'm now in the "anyone but WvA" camp.
I know the media need to generate clicks but the constant "WvA V MvDP" bullshit is getting really tedious.1 -
Lewis Hamilton is an F1 driver pure and simple; he's the best F1 driver, but doesn't mean he's the best driver in motorsport.RichN95. said:rick_chasey said:
Cycling ain't a ball game.
OK. No-one mentions Usian Bolt's long jump, Adam Peatty's butterfly or Lewis Hamilton's Le Mans 24
Similarly, WvA maybe the best 'all round' road cyclist currently - but he's not the best all round cyclist.All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."0 -
I was going to.say MvdP may have a wordTheBigBean said:
That was the other van this year.rick_chasey said:
This includes winning Strade Bianche,"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0 -
Alaphilippe's 2019 > WVA's 2020
2019
1st Milan–San Remo
1st Strade Bianche
1st La Flèche Wallonne
Critérium du Dauphiné
Mountains classification
1st Stage 6
1st Stage 2 Tour of the Basque Country
2nd Overall Vuelta a San Juan
1st Stages 2 & 3 (ITT)
2nd Brabantse Pijl
4th Amstel Gold Race
5th Overall Tour de France
1st Stages 3 & 13 (ITT)
Yellow after Stages 3–5 & 8–18
Red Overall
6th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
1st Stages 2 & 6
“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
WvA may have had his best year . Let's wait a couple of years"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0
-
We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
Well, half a season on and this hasn't aged well.rick_chasey said:I think it's time we broke out a FF style appreciation thread, because, as far as I am concerned, Wout van Aert is the best cyclist we've ever seen this century, and his (albeit, a weird truncated) 2020 is one of the most outstanding seasons I can remember seeing.
Having missed his main goal for this race, missing the podum and also being beaten by his team's tour reserve of last September, he has now started to contest sprints.
If 8th place counts as contesting.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Haha. His classic season was immaculate and the lad had appendicitis. I had that and it took me out for about a month.0
-
-
Poor Wout would swallow, but Van Der Poel would reach his stomach first.1
-
Wasn't there a stat that from the start of the season until the end of the Spring Classics, he'd finished top 10 in every race an stage apart from one?0
-
Lowest place before the tdf was 13th, on the stage in tirreno when the breakaway made it unexpectedly and he didn't really sprint. 11th at e3 was the other one outside the top 10.takethehighroad said:Wasn't there a stat that from the start of the season until the end of the Spring Classics, he'd finished top 10 in every race an stage apart from one?
Also top 10 in the last 6 races of last year - gent wevelgem, rvv, World champs Road and tt plus the tt and Paris in last years tour.
His enforced break seems to have had an impact.0 -
I’m sure I heard Sean Kelly call him/them Wout van Poel yesterday. Good shorthand I thought0
-
So what you're saying is he's finished?kingstongraham said:
Lowest place before the tdf was 13th, on the stage in tirreno when the breakaway made it unexpectedly and he didn't really sprint. 11th at e3 was the other one outside the top 10.takethehighroad said:Wasn't there a stat that from the start of the season until the end of the Spring Classics, he'd finished top 10 in every race an stage apart from one?
Also top 10 in the last 6 races of last year - gent wevelgem, rvv, World champs Road and tt plus the tt and Paris in last years tour.
His enforced break seems to have had an impact.0 -
I want him and MvdP to attack today ."If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0
-
Wrong thread.
He's still a good rider.0 -
-
Yup.rick_chasey said:What a win. Double Ventoux stage.
Woof.
Almost as good as O'Connor's breakaway win in the Alps."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Sorry, I'm only talking about Vingegaard today.
Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
Get yourself a new thread if you want to revel in the zero seconds he took on GC today.No_Ta_Doctor said:Sorry, I'm only talking about Vingegaard today.
0 -
Wasn't a patch on Eros Poli.rick_chasey said:What a win. Double Ventoux stage.
Woof.0
