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.
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.
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.
Came from the US over here to Belgium in hopes Powless would win, but the place absolutely roars whenever Van Aert does anything- so I may turncoat to Belgian for the day.
If anyone is ever considering, I highly recommend Flanders Classics to view in person. This has been A class all the way. I’ve seen them 7 times along the course and the finish party is legit.
Have to say - I didn’t see Pog getting away and not being brought back in the finale. Wout breaking killed any chance of group cohesion and him coming back - both an excellent strategy and executed in a way that almost no one else could’ve managed
Strongly recommended viewing for anyone who is a fan of the sport
Really impressive race by Pog yesterday….just dominant.
Was really hoping Wout was gonna win, but whether due to the earlier crash or something else, he was not on his game ( obviously).
When the three of them were together, I had given the win to MVP…didn’t think Pog would be able to drop him, or at least not create a big enough gap to stay away.
Only the third ever Tour winner to also win Flanders….Bobet, Merckx and Pog. That is a pretty elite club.
One final thought…I think J-V scrwed up their tactics. They only had one guy in a front group of 12 and it was van Hoojidonk. That just wasn’t gonna get it done.
Not that it mattered in the end since Wout didn’t have the legs, but they really didn’t play the team card well.
Given how the race played out, was anybody else surprised that JV didn’t give Van Hooydonck a chance? He sat on all day, and it was pretty clear Wout was not going to be able to hold MvDP or Pog’s wheel. Van H was strong enough to almost completely close the gap before the last climb.
I was surprised! Pog with the raw power hitting the WVA and MVDP over and over! When the grades are steep enough, he’s got an incredible 2-5 minute power! I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised because on summit finishes, if he and Jonas are together, Pog wins the sprint almost every time. So these steep Flanders hills were actually really suited to him!
Can’t wait for Paris Roubaix! I hope it comes down to MVDP and Wout. MVDP is punchier, but I give a slight edge to Wout for that one. On the longer more sustained efforts, he’s just a bit tougher - and he has a better all-out sprint, which is often necessary for the track finish.
