"It seems that he is no longer used to racing in cold weather" - sports director justifies Dylan van Baarle's bad results at cobbled classics
Cycling
Dylan van Baarle won Paris-Roubaix two years ago, but since then, things haven't been going well. Regardless, Visma | Lease a Bike is still counting on the Dutch champion next Sunday in the Hell of the North, sports director Arthur van Dongen tells WielerFlits.
Last Sunday, Van Baarle barely played a role at Tour of Flanders. "Dylan was really good," Van Dongen explains. "He also did well in the race, but suffered a puncture after the first time at Oude Kwaremont. When I was driving up to put a wheel on him, I also had a puncture with my car. He then grabbed a wheel from the side of the road on the Hotond."
Despite the poor results in recent weeks, Van Baarle is in good shape and extremely sharp, according to his sports director. "It simply seems that he is no longer used to racing in cold weather since he lives in Monaco. I am convinced that he will play a leading role within our team on Sunday, but also within the race. Even though things have gone wrong, we have every confidence in him."
"I'm also not worried about his form in terms of that illness last week. That was only one day," Van Dongen explains. "He was able to recover quickly and well, which indicates that his basis is very good. He just hasn't been able to show that yet due to circumstances. That is very unfortunate and sad, but it is a fact. The great thing about Paris-Roubaix is that men always emerge, either from the early breakaway, or guys who don't encounter much and have good legs."
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- A bit much to suggest that Pogacar is better than MvdP on most terrains. The only terrain Pogacar is clearly better is long climbs, on any other terrain they are pretty even except flat cobbles and short and steep climbs (max a few 100 mtrs) where MvdP is clearly better than Pogacar.Velovibes21-12-2024
- The likelihood of RE improving enough at this point to outclass TP or JV is less than zero.verve82521-12-2024
- That’s the most stupid thing I’ve read for a long time, did you not go to school and learn even the most basic physics? Aero depends on one thing only, drag, drag depends speed and the relationship is squared and apart from maybe at zero or the speed of sound or due to side winds that relationship is valid at all speeds, it dies not “suddenly” start at a magic number. Very simply, the faster you go the more the effect becomes important. If you think 25km/h is needed to have noticeable effects you’re delusional, athletic WR are cancelled as soon as winds top 2m/s that’s 7.2km/h, why because the assistance is already too important at that speed and the times prove it. You don’t even consider wind which can significantly increase the effective speed for aerodynamics and you underestimate speed of climbs, 6% is ridden more at 30 than 25km/h, a speed at which early generation high rims were considered to have more advantages than disadvantages. And finally, as in normal races you can’t just switch bikes according to terrain, it’s pretty pointless to discuss climbs as a separate situation, the aero will have justified itself plenty during the rest of the ride.Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- If you look at how much TP progressed in that 1 1/2 years you can no longer say that’s nothing. If Remco improves as much he’s a challenger!Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- Froome wishing to ride the Vuelta...he won't even be selected for the team!frieders320-12-2024
- Keep telling yourself that Remco but you not only have Tadeg to beat but Jonas!frieders320-12-2024
- Seems farfetched - I agree. Mas has beaten him once. Giro d'Emillia I think - 2022mobk20-12-2024
- Barring injuries, by the time Pogacar's dominance fads there will be lots of new young talent. Pogacar is about 1 1/2 years older than Remco. That's nothing.Sweep20-12-2024
- I actually don’t find that too impressive. In my later forties I did similar figures for a 3.5% gradient as a total nobody with no wind assistance. Am sure there’s margin for improvement there, especially looking at all the names on that list.Mistermaumau20-12-2024
- Jonas', was 6 years agospock12320-12-2024