This is bizarre:
Silence until Wout leaves!
I find it remarkable to even compare. First off, their injuries were tremendously different. (This should be enough to eliminate a comparison alone.)
Secondly, Remco took 266 days to return to racing at the prologue of the Giro in 2021 he came 7th and was in 2nd overall on the GC 10 days in. Since then he has won (not exhaustive): the Tour of Norway, Volta ao Algarve, San Sebastián, Belgian TT champs, LBL, the Vuelta, and took rainbow stripes.
Bernal on the other hand took 203 days to return racing at the Tour of Denmark in 2022 and finished 2min off the back of the peloton on the opening flat stage. And he finished yesterday 2:45 back on a mountain stage…
Cmon. These are not trajectories even on the same playing field. I’m impressed Bernal is racing at all and wish him the best but this is simply not even an inkling of comparison.
You are basically right and I was being hyperbolic. Egan Bernal coach said the he will competing in Pais Vasco and Tour of Romandie. And hopefully these 3 races (along with Catalunya) will help him pass test #1 out of 3 in his recovery. It’s a long, long road.
Anybody else excited for Lo Port?
I’m an unabashed Roglic fan so I’m both surprised and happy with todays result. Given the result the other day it seemed likely to me that Roglic is not on peak form after the late start due to shoulder surgery. I thought Remco would for sure take at least a few more seconds out of him today but happy to be wrong.
Nothing against Remco but Rog is probably approaching the end of the peak of his career. Pog and Remco and the rest of the young guns are going to have plenty more years to shine.
I’m new to cycling and even newer to cycling racing, and one thing I hear is that we’re watching one of the most talented generations in a while. Is this true? I know nothing about cycling history except the hugely famous names so I have no idea.
I took an instant liking to Roglic and MVDP for whatever reason and have been enjoying the battles between MVDP van aert and pogacar. But these names often come up when bringing up the claim
It’s the changing of the guard. A new generation of superstars has taken over.
Undoubtedly, quality of training and accumulated knowledge + technology.
You think Wout felt like he had something to prove?
Clearly not! 
More seriously, WVA appears to be a bit behind in comparison to the other two mutants, but seems to be on an upswing as well. Should bode well for at least his Roubaix if not already de Ronde.
In the Ronde, Pogi went on the penultimate kwaremont last year. I think it is in his interest to make the race hard from even further out this year, for MVDP and WVA likelyout sprint him again. Jumbo was MIA yesterday but might want to throw van baarle ahead some 70-80k to go. Then again he might even win if he is let go and has the legs.
MVDP still the man to beat IMHO especially with the strengthened team: particularly Soren Kragh has been a very good lieutenant.
Good couple weeks ahead.
It’s not just against them, he’s behind his form at this time last year. I don’t think it’s that much of a cause for concern. It’s a long season and MDVP fizzled out big time later in the season and after Pog lost TdF one of the biggest talking points was about him going hard all season instead of focusing on TdF.
That said WVA is Flemish and he has to win Flanders one of these years. He can say he’s done things that MDVP can’t even dream of like winning on both Ventoux and Champs-Élysées but until he wins Flanders he’s always going to have a big chip on his shoulder.
Lol… Remco’s tantrum today was funny. Like… dude. Primoz ain’t gonna work with you, bro. There is literally zero point in him helping you get away from the peloton. CHILL out! HAHA!!!
The cycling version of “well, it’s a game of two halves” answer:
Groupama-FDJ’s captain Küng said “We need to get riders in front of the others and still be up there where they come from behind.”
I agree I think MVDP is the man to beat for Ronde. If he can create some separation from WVA on the Paterberg and Pog stays with him I would think he could still out kick Pog for the win. I think it would be much harder for Pog to do that to MVDP.
I would love to see WVA take the win and that is who I am cheering for. He should be riding high after E3 and Ghent. He also has the best team in my opinion. It seemed he was riding more conservatively at E3 as well.
I don’t think Pog has the raw power to win against these two and the same goes for Pidcock.
If Mohoric was more conservative with his riding I could see him being more competitive. My underdogs I would like to see take it would be Vanmarcke, Jorgenson, or Pidcock.
Would love to see Jorgensen win. It’s a long shot but cool that we have him and Powless even in the conversation as Americans. Of the big 3, I’m rooting for WVA.
Don’t be shocked to see a surprise winner on Sunday….the Big 3 could end up stalemating each other while someone else sneaks up the road.
J-V can benefit from this.
We’ve had so many races where the big three (or definitely the big two!) Have been boxed into a corner by being expected to do all the work.
I’m excited to see Sam Gaze line up in the Ronde tonight (I’ll watch tomorrow obviously).
Jumbo have such a strong team right now I hope that there should be no sit up and watch the race ride up the road. Equally I hope it’s not a procession because they have so many riders they dictate all terms.
I’m rooting for MVdP.
Prove me wrong but I think a surprise victor will be very unlikely. Pogacar knows that his best chance is a very hard and fast race. He will be pushing the pace as soon as they hit the Ardennes. From then on it’s survival of the fittest; WvA, MvdP and Pogacar.
It’s hard to pick someone other than the big 3 or a ‘random’ Jumbo rider
I think MVDP is going to win - he peaks for big races really well and is the favorite for a reason.
I’m pulling for WVA because he seems to be the nearly-man in monuments and I want this battle and debate to rage for decades, so I want some balance (hard to think of WVA as the underdog)
My outsider pick (meaning - no Jumbo and no big 3) is Pidcock - somehow gets away with Pog at the end and then wins a thrilling lightweight sprint
I was with most of you in that the logical pick of the big 3 would be MDVP, but he’s not looking good so far today. Some really bad positioning and with more than 100km to go they’ve already burned off Soren Kragh. Doesn’t rule MDVP out, but it’s not ideal.
I’m rooting for Wout. Definitely can’t call Jumbo an underdog in anything but it seems a shame for a Belgian rider of his caliber to never take a Ronde and losing last year’s opportunity due to COVID.