Van der Poel and grand tours: "Clearly not a grand tour rider," says Michael Boogerd
Cycling
Mathieu van der Poel rode an unusually anonymous Tour de France this summer. The world champion from Glasgow only made his presence felt in the gravel stage, but apart from a few lead-outs for Jasper Philipsen, he was hardly a factor in the race. His Tour participation raises the question of whether the powerhouse from Kapellen is suited for grand tours. Michael Boogerd shared his thoughts on this with Wielerrevue.
"It's clear that Van der Poel isn't really a grand tour rider," the 52-year-old former pro asserts. "But if a Tour is designed one year where the first stages are tailored to him, then he will definitely start. He might ride for a week and then head home."
The fact that there was little positive talk about Mathieu's Tour participation, according to Boogerd, is due to the expectations surrounding the world champion. "I felt there was a bit of negativity towards Van der Poel during this Tour, but I thought it was exaggerated. People just expect a lot from him. You have to remember what he showed us this spring. Someone like Niki Terpstra was also considered a great classics rider, but he never managed to achieve much in the Tour either. I can name a few more riders who excelled in the classics but not in the Tour," the Hague native concludes.
Van der Poel "not suited to ride a grand tour for three weeks"
The lead-outs that Van der Poel did for Philipsen, which helped the Belgian win three stages, did not go unnoticed by Boogerd. "He fired up the sprint for Jasper Philipsen in grand fashion a few times, so let's not be too negative. To lead out a sprint like that, you have to be motivated, because it's definitely not easy."
In any case, Boogerd has made up his mind about whether Van der Poel is a rider for grand tours. "I tend to agree with the notion that he's realizing he's not suited to ride a grand tour for three weeks," the ever-cheerful Boogerd concludes.
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Latest Comments
- Well explained, thanks for the clarity! Daniel DantasDanieldantas20-12-2024
- This is the kind of 'news' that belongs in a cheap tabloid. No matter how boring the offseason gets, nobody wants to read this.
santiagobenites19-12-2024 - I wish we could have seen him try. He'd absolutely get dropped before Pogi overtakes his domestiquesVeganpotter10-12-2024
- Talk is cheap! Next year barring crashes with a healthy team... all well be on track! Some need to talk to make a headline!mootman27-11-2024
- I do not see this event listed on HBO Max Sports Online? Can anyone confirm? Thanks!
MrYuck23-11-2024 - It seemed that he was focusing forward at the time of the crash, after seeing a quick video snippet. But one thing I think he should focus on more intently is breaking a bad habit he has, right now. And that is his constant looking over his shoulders. He does that so much, that I am very sure it is not good for him. Simply watch videos of the greats of CX and you will see very little of that constant looking over their shoulders. That is a behavior that betrays a bit of insecurity on his part. He shouldn't be so concerned, incessantly, about what is over his shoulder. He needn't worry they didn't all disappear. He neds to keep his focus more ahead of himself, and he needs to pay a bit more attention to himself, in a confident manner. It is very frustrating to watch, because it is apparent that he has a lot of potential, and is in much better shape thwan many of his competitors, but the mental game needs to be sharpened more, because that part of strategy plays a huge part in the final results
reemmo022-11-2024 - hahahaha love this shit! I didnt even watched the race, but reading all the gossip articles of how stupid this is!Zatoichi19-11-2024
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024