Tour '25

[stompandgo]

MVDP, even at 100%, cannot be competitive for 2-3 weeks in any race that features multiple category 2+ (2,1,HC) climbs per day, over several days. A GC contender must be able to do that. Look at all the recent activity in the Top 10. Those are the GC contenders. They don't spend the flat stages leading out their sprinters. He's great in smaller, shorter, punchier stage races, classics, and cyclocross.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

MVDP, even at 100%, cannot be competitive for 2-3 weeks in any race that features multiple category 2+ (2,1,HC) climbs per day, over several days. A GC contender must be able to do that. Look at all the recent activity in the Top 10. Those are the GC contenders. They don't spend the flat stages leading out their sprinters. He's great in smaller, shorter, punchier stage races, classics, and cyclocross.

Makes sense. So he's primarily a "puncheur" and 1-day racer by nature. Wonder how much he aspires to GC success?

 

[stompandgo]

He's much more than a 1-day puncheur. He can win short stage races. Just watch the way he rides on the road. He's a diesel. He can only win a sprint by overpowering everyone else from a ways back. He has no sprinter's jump. He has to win from 1km out. He can climb the "short" punchy climbs to stay in it, but that's it. My opinion is that he has it written in his contract that he will ride Grand Tours to win stages and support his teammates, and to prepare to win Worlds and cyclocross races. He is the best in the world at doing just that. He basically races all year round. I don't know how long he can last at that pace, but he's proven to be able to do it so far.

Wout is very similar, but not at MVDP's level.