"Wout van Aert is with the wrong team" - Belgian classics legend Rik van Looy
Cycling
Classics legend of the 60's Rik van Looy still keeps a close eye in the sport where he has thrived, and he believes that Wout van Aert is in the wrong team to succeed in this terrain.
“About the unfortunate fact that Wout van Aert is with the wrong team, for example. And that he should change teams. I had already mentioned that five years ago in an interview with 'Gazet van Antwerpen'. But then they laughed at that," Rik van Looy told Het Laatste Nieuws. "But Tom [Boonen] also started talking about it. 'For example, if he had ridden for Soudal Quick-Step, he would have won at least five major classics.' I believe that too. Isn't Jumbo-Visma a stage-race-oriented team? He will now ride the Giro in 2024. But that is still a long way off. I would not do that. The Giro is much more difficult than the Tour, always has been. Just take a look at the stage schedule.
Whilst van Aert may not aim for the GC and instead stage wins, his change of schedule and direction away from the Tour has led to a lot of debate. Van Looy is of the opinion that there is no great logic to it, but argues that in previous years van Aert has not achieved the desired big wins in the classics due to the team he has signed for. Regarding Remco Evenepoel he also casts his doubts on the potential of succeeding at the Tour de France.
“I am absolutely not anti-Remco and sincerely hope that he will one day succeed, but I have doubts. Okay, he won the Vuelta a España last year. But his main competitor, Primoz Roglic, dropped out prematurely. He paid a price in this year's Vuelta. I'm a bit afraid that the French climbs will be too hard for him," he argues. "Again: that has nothing to do with his qualities, because they are undeniably present. But I've experienced it myself. I could also climb quite well, at one point even finishing in the top four in mountain stages in big tours three days in a row. Felt fine, followed smoothly. 'Oh, that will be fine' I thought. Until those real, pure climbers opened the throttle. And I immediately understood what time it was.”
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The only *negative* thing about TJV is ironically they won't give him much room for TDF. Since, they know Pogacar is the favorite, Wout Van Aert is 2# favorite, should Turbo Pogacar is having an off day or two. If he was riding in a team who treat him, like Bora used to treat Sagan, his achievements would be even better. But, I don't think he will trade that for what it has meant to ride, as a massive part of two yellow winning teams. His career won't likely end up with quiet as many monument [or 1 day races] wins, one might predict. But it's still remarkable achievements inits own right. He is once in a generation kind of atheletes, in terms of ability, and temperament, and I think he's happy with TJV at the moment. He's obviously *needs* to win Roubaix, Flanders, and maybe a WC to complete his CV. But, even if he doesn't, he is one of the best riders in his generations. Let's not forgot, TJV dominates the classics last season, as thoroughly as what Team Sky does in the past. Wout could have won two monuments, himself, [he gave 1 away to Laporte, instead], and he might well win 1 with a flat, at the worse possible moment. TJV is not the main problem. Unless you want to be the main rider of the team *inserting Jack Atlas' voice* I HATE THIS SHIT!
Rik Van Looy. Absolute Legend. Knows what he is talking about. Straight to the point. Ahhhh those legs of his. Magnificent.
TJV dominated the spring classics last year about as thoroughly as any team ever. Wout won two himself (although he gave one away to Laporte), and might well have won a monument but for a flat at the worst possible moment. TJV is not the problem. The one thing that being on TJV *has* limited for him is, ironically, the TDF. If he were on a team that treated him like Bora used to treat Sagan, his record would be even more amazing. But I doubt he'd trade that for what it has meant to ride as a massive part of two Yellow-winning teams. His career will not likely end up with quite as many monuments as one might have predicted, but is remarkable in its own right. He is unique in ability and temperament and I think he is happy where he is. He obviously wants -- needs -- to win Roubaix, Flanders, and a WC to be complete, but even if he doesn't, he is one of the defining riders of his generation.
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- By the way, try to specify details a little deeper next time, I know lengthy text is unpopular but often it’s very useful, like to distinguish between a cobble having the effect of many little hills or a cobbled section :-)Mistermaumau13-04-2025
- Sorry thenMistermaumau13-04-2025
- They made the mistake of asking Kopecky to wait for Lorena and also work for her. Typical Sdworx fail. Kopecly should have been sole leader with Lorena playing foil like Vismaabstractengineer13-04-2025
- these french guys are such petty jealous whiners i can’t stand Madiot.mij13-04-2025
- More crying from a failing team boss with no winsCrashjames13-04-2025
- (I was really replying to the other person...) In Paris Roubaix, the bits with the cobbles are slower than the paved sections, so wind resistance is less than it otherwise would be on a "flat" road, though as I keep pointing out, these are equivalent to a bunch of little hills. While momentum will help one maintain velocity given resistances, you aren't taking into account that one had to get that extra mass up to speed in the first place, which costs more power. So, you do get back most of the extra power you've put in, but that's not helpful. The less rolling resistance (and climbing over the bumps) of less mass will always be more helpful than having more mass, all else held equal. Actually, this could be easily demonstrated with a cyclist on cobbles, 2 runs, start at the same velocity, do the same power, have a backpack full of foam on run 1, then full of rocks on run 2 (ensuring the PSI was perfected for both) and see which run went faster. And when we think about it, we know which one will be faster intuitively.acem8213-04-2025
- Yes, you did say that but what is the point of stating the obvious when obviously a lighter rider won’t be able to avoid reality which is that above a certain speed rolling resistance becomes insignificant compared to wind resistance, so it pragmatically all things being kept equal is irrelevant for them in their task. Momentum is what you’re left with after overcoming resistances, and that’s what going to help you keep up your speed except on a longer hill where weight will slow you faster.Mistermaumau13-04-2025
- Yes ok, but then what were the exact details then, did he cross the line, did his team not ask the stewards committee if they thought it was an exceptional case? He got the time but not the ranking, not even the last ranking, which suggests it was looked at and decided but explain why you feel it wasn’t right? There are only two cases it doesn’t apply, team time trials and summit finishes, so flat or not makes no difference.Mistermaumau13-04-2025
- Rolling resistance goes up with weight. Also, I did specify "all else held equal".acem8213-04-2025
- Even light rain is tricky as it has been dry since ages and the normal roads will be covered in smeary dust that won’t get washed off fast enough. Not sure how many of the cobbled sections are open to heavy traffic during the year so that’s a different problem.Mistermaumau13-04-2025