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"Wout has learned how difficult it is to win those races" - De Cauwer and van Hooydonck discuss Wout van Aert's spring, Evenepoel at Sanremo and Tom Pidcock
CyclingSunday, 18 February 2024 at 11:38
The spring classics are only one weekend away and the main stars are all getting ready for it. Omloop het Nieuwsblad opens up the action, analyst José de Cauwer and former pro Nathan van Hooydonck take a look into some of the favourites and main questions asked for the Belgians.
"The Omloop will be even more of a goal for De Lie than for Van Aert... If everyone looks at Visma this spring, many teams will be disappointed. But I propose a compromise: Lotto must carry the race in Kuurne, not in the Omloop," José de Cauwer told Het Nieuwsblad. The discussion between him and some of the biggest figures in cycling mainly revolved around the cobbled classics.
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Tadej Pogacar and Tom Pidcock will not be part of the action in the most important events. In the meantime Mathieu van der Poel is preparing for the spring in his own schedule, following his success in the cyclocross campaign. "Yes, then you have your finger up in a strong class. But it is clear that Pidcock is anything but a traditional Flemish ride. What strikes me about Pidcock in the Flemish classics: he has a lot of 'standing ability', but much less 'sitting ability'," de Cauwer explains.
"On cobbled climbs such as the Muur or Paterberg - where the decision is often made - he has a more difficult time. You can see Van Aert pulling up on his handlebars and really getting power from his body. Pidcock can never do it that way. Pogacar is just robust enough to be able to do it," he says of the Briton. The Muur de Geraardsbergen will be a good test for the form of the specialists early in the spring.
For Wout van Aert, the ultimate goals however will be the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. "It's a bit of a stretch to bet on two races like this," says De Cauwer. 'Then you can't just say 'I don't have to do anything'. Be careful, I understand. Wout has learned how difficult it is to win those races. His approach now might be a solution. You should see it this way: Wout is the only rider who still has time to improve after the Omloop."
"The rest know that they will have to make do with the condition of the opening weekend. The Muur [de Geraardsbergen] will teach us a lot next week. If fifty people ride up there faster than you, you have a problem." A lot of mysteries will be held until late in the spring however as van der Poel is yet to start his season.
"I think it's a good thing that Remco is not riding Sanremo. I wonder if that course suits him so well. On the Poggio I don't see him dropping Van der Poel and in that technical descent afterwards he can only mortgage his Tour," Nathan van Hooydonck argued," regarding Milano-Sanremo and what may happen there. Wout van Aert will not be present there.
"The Cipressa is not difficult enough for a long attack. I don't know if he can really ride there much faster than anyone else. Remco would go up there so fast that he would have to brake in the corners. At Evenepoel I no longer dare to say: 'he can't do that'. In the Figueira Classic he already had some acceleration. If he gets away on the Cipressa, the next fair will be a fair for him."
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