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- Van Aert's best days are behind him. He can still manage Top 10 but winning a race is almost impossible at this stage in his career. Luck has also abandoned him lately.
- What are these people smoking??
- If was a privileged information that I didn't even share with my team so I'm sharing it publicly
- This is why I love cycling. There is so much strategy involved that makes it fun to watch. MvDP made sure Van Aert, the only person capable on winning the race ahead of the sprint was totally spent before the line and had no change to attack to the finish line.
- I think he done the wrong thing, he was thinking only of himself and acted with sheep mentality
- Stop being a fool, we're talking about Catalunya 2026 and this years races... not about what hapenned last year or three years ago. Capish?
- In english it can be Pogachar. "Č" in slovenian is the same as "CH" (like Churchill or chicken) in english.

It's a competitive race, not a friendly. Naesen should have relayed the information. He asked the question and it was van der Poel's choice to say that they wanted to sprint - he didn't need to.
If Decathlon-CMA CGM had known, they may have committed to the chase more (without the knowledge, they were more focused on the podium). Because the van Aert and van der Poel were caught with only 900 m to go, and Segaert with 700 m to go, it made for a very chaotic finale. And in a chaotic final like that, the more experienced Jasper Philipsen excels. The younger Tobias Lund Andresen would have liked it more if the final was calmer - when the leadout is done well, he's had very big successes, such as beating Brennan, Philipsen and Milan. But the leadouts had already started before the catch was made, so it was a complex final. Lund Andresen does not lack the speed and I think he'd have won if Naesen had relayed the information.
This is an example of the top riders' intimidation of the subconscious of lower riders. In a race decided by such fine margins, petty honour like this has no place. It is petty honour, not true honour, because van der Poel would not be able to criticise Naesen (imagine if he did - Mou would go after him)- Death, taxes & Wout 2nd.
Nothing will change.
- I wouldn't be surprised if both take place. If they do, Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe would have, in their cobbled classics block:
Jordi Meeus
Christophe Laporte
Maxim van Gils
Arnaud de Lie
Arne Marit
Gianni Vermeersch
Tim van Dijke
Danny van Poppel
Lawrence Pithie
Finn Fisher-Black
Gianni Moscon
Jan Tratnik
Mick van Dijke
Haimar Etxeberria
That's a seriously strong team. They'd lack a top notch rider but they'd have 4 or 5 at the next level down, and the collective to make something happen. And if they do, it'd be proof that the aliens can be beaten if you invest in it
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