The Flemish opening weekend did not fit into their schedule, from Strade Bianche (Saturday 4 March) Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel pinned the back number one time again. In our own De Tribune show, the duo was of course widely discussed and Tadej Pogacar was always close.
strongest team? It’s partly a semantic debate, but for José de Cauer that label seems to be stuck in Jumbo-Visma’s back. “Let’s say it’s the standard,” suggests our analyst at De Tribune.
The spring block got stronger thanks to Dylan van Baarle. “But I still conclude that it is also difficult for Jumbo-Visma to win Spring Effects,” says Carl Vanyukerke.
Woot van Aert won Milan-Sanremo (2020), but that’s where it ends for him.
“So he must be playing in his head that something is badly needed.” I’m getting older and if I want to upholster my honor roll, it’s time to win Brunei or Roubaix. “
It’s time for Van Aert to win those relics. It’s not really meant for Van Barley to win Roubaix again.
“That’s right,” de Couer reiterated a statement he shared earlier. “It’s about time Van Aert won these monuments. It’s not really meant for Van Barley to win Roubaix again.”
“Others can win everything, from Omloop to Gent-Wevelgem. But when it comes to those two races, Van Aert will be the man.”
“He has already given a lot to the team, including in the Tour with Jonas Vinggaard. That’s why he will ask: these two races for me.”
“I had this idea that Van Aert is a better rider than Tom Boonen. More complete. He’s done things we haven’t seen from Boonen.”
“But if you look at Bunin’s palms, they are still miles away from what Van Aert did!”
Wout van Aert won Milan-Sanremo in the summer of 2020 with Corona.
“We’ve become demanding, but summer is so unpredictable”
Our commentators tease another factor: This summer, Wout van Aert will be a father for the second time.
“This summer is more unpredictable,” Vaniokerki estimates. “Maybe he’ll become a father while on tour. Will he leave after that?”
“The World Cup is so soon after the Tour, so you can’t go 3 weeks without going to the World Cup like lemonade. These uncertainties make the spring even more important for Van Aert.”
Our commentator realizes: “We’ve become inquisitive.” “If he wins E3 or Gent-Wevelgem and not Ronde or Roubaix, you can hardly talk about a great spring. While many drivers have had a successful spring.”
“By skipping races like Omloop, he himself confirms what we’re saying here. Only important races count.”
“Van der Poel has reached the same point as Van Aert”
Meadow, gravel roads, cobblestones or Flemish cliffs: wherever Wout van Aert goes or stands, sooner or later he will meet Mathieu van der Poel. Will his fragile back hold out this time?
“If you look at the way he flew around Hoogerheide…,” Karl Vannieuwkerke snaps quickly. “His back had to put up with more there than he had later down the road. I don’t know if we have to take that into account.”
José De Cauwer draws a parallel between Twin. “I am convinced that Van der Poel has reached the same point as Van Aert.”
“He actually came to the World Cup thinking: It’s time to gradually become a world champion, because I don’t have much time left. Then he faced that with these tough teenagers.”
The back will be fine. Also applies to him: He races quite a bit, so where he starts, he’s going to want to win.
“I’ve heard from a good source that he sets everything straight. But I think we’ll see a very enthusiastic Van der Poel, who will do more than just basic stability.”
“The full-back will stay in place. That goes for him, too: he races a bit, so where he starts, he’ll want to win.”
“Roubaix is playing in his head,” says Vannieuwkerke. And for the rest, expand this list of honors.
“He and Van Aert avoid each other only once, at Gent-Wevelgem. This is a race Mathieu doesn’t like for some reason.”
“Maybe he doesn’t see the tradition of this race, but it’s there. But for the rest: Fireworks are guaranteed.”
After the cyclocross story, the chapter on the road now follows.
“If I wanted to go to the Tour with Pogacar, I would tell him not to ride the Tour”
Then there’s Tadej Pogacar: his debut last year at the Tour of Flanders tastes more delicious and the Slovenian cannibal wants to win this year.
“I was afraid we wouldn’t see him again in Flanders after his second place in the Tour. I kiss with both hands that he will start,” says Karl Vannieuwkerke.
José De Cauwer has a side note as a former sporting director: “If I wanted to go to the Tour with him, I’d say he shouldn’t ride the Tour.”
“But I’ve read that he now wants to go to Paris-Nice because he’s already won the Tirreno. If you can think of cycling that way, how easy is that?”
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