Wout van Aert appreciation thread

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  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,244
    RichN95. 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.

    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.

    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.
    Cycling ain't a ball game.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137



    Cycling ain't a ball game.


    OK. No-one mentions Usian Bolt's long jump, Adam Peatty's butterfly or Lewis Hamilton's LeMans 24
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,312
    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 & 2023
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,069
    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.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,069
    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.
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 20,511
    edited April 2021
    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.

    Because some people tend to make over the top statements such as that WvA is best rider this century.

    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.
  • jam1e
    jam1e Posts: 1,066
    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.
  • andyrac
    andyrac Posts: 1,123
    RichN95. 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
    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.
    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..."
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,646


    This includes winning Strade Bianche,

    That was the other van this year.
    I was going to.say MvdP may have a word
    "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 pm
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,878
    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!
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,646
    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 pm
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    edited July 2021

    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.

    Well, half a season on and this hasn't aged well.

    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.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,244
    edited July 2021
    Haha. His classic season was immaculate and the lad had appendicitis. I had that and it took me out for about a month.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,244
    Ok not immaculate but pretty good.

  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    He should swallow his pride and retire.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,217
    RichN95. said:

    He should swallow his pride and retire.

    Too right, he's becoming a sad joke
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,224
    Poor Wout would swallow, but Van Der Poel would reach his stomach first.
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,602
    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?
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,132

    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?

    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.

    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.
  • bm5
    bm5 Posts: 530
    I’m sure I heard Sean Kelly call him/them Wout van Poel yesterday. Good shorthand I thought
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,892
    bm5 said:

    I’m sure I heard Sean Kelly call him/them Wout van Poel yesterday. Good shorthand I thought

    That's as likely to be Kelly getting into a muddle as any cute wordplay tbh.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,217

    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?

    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.

    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.
    So what you're saying is he's finished?
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,646
    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 pm
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,132
    edited July 2021
    Wrong thread.

    He's still a good rider.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,244
    What a win. Double Ventoux stage.

    Woof.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741

    What a win. Double Ventoux stage.

    Woof.

    Yup.
    Almost as good as O'Connor's breakaway win in the Alps.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 13,200
    Sorry, I'm only talking about Vingegaard today. :wink:
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,132

    Sorry, I'm only talking about Vingegaard today. :wink:

    Get yourself a new thread if you want to revel in the zero seconds he took on GC today.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,217

    What a win. Double Ventoux stage.

    Woof.

    Wasn't a patch on Eros Poli.