It's absolutely breathtaking how Pogacar lights up the Oude Kwaremont. Such a display of raw power. In the Dutch newspapers this morning, MvdP admitted that he never put out more watts than on the last 12km chase. Pogacar looked like he was suffering as well, and said he almost broke on the last Paterberg ascent. Unbelievable how they can recover so quickly and do a 12km time trial.
It isn't really surprising MVDP never put out more watts in that last 12km than other times. With the other times he always had someone with him and a pretty nice gap, meaning both splitting the efforts and not having to go deep into the red.
@@treadtyred9742 I think he meant that he never put out more watts in the last 12km in RVV. It doesn't make sense to be anything else after such a hard long race.
What a race!!! Loved his comment. If I retired today I could be happy with my career. Pogacar, the most exciting rider to watch, even his competitors watch in awe.
@@Patrick_Runnels Well to be fair it helps when you always win… after last year’s loss in Flanders he was not that good of a sport. But generally you are right.
Great coverage Chris thanks! WOW, Pogacar had an amazing race! I love that the guy's so humble. When asked how he did it, he said something like 'he just felt good' today. LOL. I hope Wout is ok! :( He was not on form after that crash.
Agreed. Brave in the chase too. He could have backed off 30-50watts and still rolled in for second but he left it all on the road. Looked like it hurt!
@@alphaniner3770 haha you could be right. And you never know when your opponent might crack or start cramping after a race that hard. Gotta be there to win it!
@@KD_cycling - at 10km Pogacar seemed to be reaching for a gel in his pocket - or could be just getting a chewing gum for kissing his fiance - but you never know indeed.
Forgot to mention Powless and Jorgensen. There has NEVER been more Americans in the top 10 then (WHAT) BELGIANS. Wow and it was Powless' maiden voyage at Flanders. So proud of those guys representing on such a blistering fast day. Go Red, White and Blue.
@@Markotram I was reffing to the 2 Americans that finished in the top 10. Yes there are many flags around the world that bare the red, white and blue colours.
Difficult is an understatement. Brutal crashes today. Game of survival!!Too bad. Poor decisions and poor bike handling could very well take out great racers for the season! Cream of the crop rose to the top in the end. Great racing this year so far! Powless. Wow! Thanks Chris for your expertise and analysis! Keep em coming!🦋
Its just a joy to watch Pogacar race! He just loves to race! And for MvDP, he tried to be a hero... In sports, when you try to be a hero, usually things don't work out.
@@JohnDough-yr2zt yeah, but he has a strong training regimen that he has to do if he wants to be great. And talent, and luck is important as well. But I see a person who genuinely enjoys racing.
Such a great race today. I started watching at 5:30. Tadej dropped a bomb on EVERYONE out there today. Mvdp has his chances but they were asleep at the wheel for some reason and they paid for it in the end. Good job Mads for taking 3rd and you have to feel for Wout being on home turf and all but hey, he did his best and you never know about the knee after he went down. Feel so bad for Girmay, Mohoric, Sagan and the guy that caused that massive pile up. He got dq'ed straight away and he even knew it cause he unclipped to hop in the team car to cry. Gonna be a heck of a week of racing, can't wait to see it. Also, CHAPEAU to Lotte Kopecky and Demi Volering from SD workx
Chris, you are excellent! Many Slovenians are in resentment because you criticized paris nice 2021 beloved primož roglič's 6th stage attack. But you were right! You are fantastic, keep on doing good job, God bless you, greetings from Slovenija!!!
Woo! Sea Otter Classic represent! All my teammates were so proud of me for even FINISHING that dang race at Laguna Seca! Beautiful setting there, awesome place for a race. Thanks for another great video, Horner!
Tidbit: In danish TV2, interview with Søren Kragh Andersen, he explained how he was sick all week up to the race. He gave his all closing down that gap for MvdP at the 'start' of the race. Then had to abandon, with nothing left in the legs. It looked like JSV and UAE were SET on bullying Alpecin/MvdP all day, maybe there was some 'alliance' there? One of the best Flanders i've ever watched! And as usual, a nice, semi-competent analysis, CHris 🤭😜Well done, Chris, as always, to the point the american way, Thank You! 👌🤙
Neither Jumbo nor UAE pulled when MVP was cut out at the start. It their tactic was simply to race against him they would have done that. Alpecin problem was that they did not have a man up front so not only they missed a bridge for the captain, but they also had to work more on the peloton
Only 3 TdF winners ever won de Ronde: Bobet (way in the old days), Eddy Merckx and Pog. Also the fastest Ronde ever; over 44K/h average. Neilson did hisself proud!
9:50 I liked the move by Laporte to bridge to Pog. No one has more pressure on him in this race than Van Aert which means he can't call a bluff if MVDP/Pidcock refuse to work when Van Aert has a teammate with him. If Laporte doesn't go ahead, he would be wasted pulling all three back to Pog. It was worth the risk to try to hurt MVP, it just didn't pan out.
I did some earlier videos where I talked about both MVDP and Wout having to chase PoG after the last climb. With that in mind every time Laporte took a pull, Pog was not pulling. But I understand why Jumbo did it, I just wouldn’t trade a fresher Pog for a more tired MVDP. 🤔🦋👍
@@ChrisHornerCycling I'm pretty sure that you have passed kidney stones that know more about cycling than I do, so you are probably right. The dynamics between those three are just fascinating! Anyway, thanks for the awesome commentary!
@@ChrisHornerCycling Thing is, it looked like Pogacar was going to sit up. By Laporte joining him, they could try to have Laporte take weak turns to get Pogacar to keep doing full turns and waste more energy. In the end it seems Pogacar didn't fall for that since he did seem to be holding back a bit, which is why they got caught pretty early.
fun facts : Pogacar tour of Flanders is excluded from Strava segment classification, because too high to be true 😂, 44 km/h, i think fastest tour ever.
Hehehe. I once had a Strava segment flagged and taken down. I wrote in with a few words saying. I’m a Grand Tour winner. The next day it was back up. 😂👊🦋🚴
I guess I was really wrong about my prediction😅 that’s what cycling is all about! What a race to watch! Really thought MVDP would hold up with POG but he really deserved the win, absolutely destroyed the Dutchman. I rather see this than a sprint bc to show dominance like this it really shows who was stronger and tactically smarter. Rather than a bike throw for the line where a split second only makes the difference!
I predicted that Mattieu would solo to the finish. well he did that and destroyed the field, with the exception of one that was even better... it was a great race to watch (except these nasty crashes).
I thought that was a beautiful, if futile, gesture when Van Hooyodonck dropped back to bring Wout back. Remember he was in the lead group, had not worked as much as the others, and he has been in great form this season. He scuttled his chances for a podium spot in one of the biggest races. Wout will have dozens more chances for glory but Nathan Van Hooyodonck willingly, selflessly, sacrificed his one best chance for a teammate today.
Van Hooydonck said afterwards he already was f*cked up in that group, which is why he wanted to drop back immediately when Wout got distanced to work for him, but wout told him to wait.
I am really surprised, almost shocked. They have both cocked it up, Wout and Matthew have neglected strategic strength out of fear, thus allowing young Slovenian to penetrate deep into enemy's territory. 😎😁
Another great review, thanks again Chris. What an EPIC race, i was lucky enough to watch it from start to finish. FYI - Wout was able to get back so quick after the big accident as the peloton slowed right down after that big crash, this also allowed the gap to the break to balloon out from 2 to 6 mins (i think).
Chris your analysis was on point. I remember asking you what team UAE should do and that exactly what they did. Put everyone to work and lauch Pog for attack on the climbs
The kid needs it as hard a race as they can make and then a little help from MVDP making a mistake or two and Wout crashing is enough. That was a good race. 💥🔥👊🦋
Wow, could not ask for a better matchup at the end! Do the service cars go around those cobbled climbs? Tough job getting everybody fed. Thanks Mr. Horner!
That was certainly a good one. I’m not certain which climbs the cars can pass on and which ones they have to go around for safety. Good question though. 🤔👍🦋
Loved seeing the 2 young Americans in the top 10!! I do not think in my time of watching racing that that has ever happened in the one day classics and I am old!! To bad about the crash that Wout was in ! Great race it sounds like I had no way of watching but congratulations to TDP!!! GREAT JOB CHRIS THANK YOU!! I watched your climb today in the TDS that was so awsome great job for a old guy!! That was a tough 17 seaconds I think it was!!🤜🤛👏👏👏
I love the competition between the 3 great riders and your comments on the race. I thought a key point in the race that negatively impacts Matheiu Van Der Peol was when he dropped a chain early one of the climbs at a time Pogacar attached. He had to catch up and I believe on the same section attacked himself to drop WVA. I believe it was too much which hurt him later when he was dropped by Pogacar.
that was a truly hard race, well fought, bummer on the WVA crash, we're in an the golden age of cycling, I think, super amazing riders from so many different teams, Pogacar, Vinegaard, Roglic, WVA, MVDP, Evanpoel, Bernal (if he finally gets healthy). There are 3-4 riders who could win the TdF now, depending on so many things, glad for this, and the fact that PEDs aren't an issue these days - yeah yeah yeah, I know, mostly because of high altitude equivalents and PEDs being increasingly difficult to detect but it's good to have the racing be the thing. Also, super happy that there are great commentators like Chris coming to the fore.
I never in the last 20 years of following cycling saw a talent who is nearly perfect in EVERYTHING, Lance, Contador, Froome, Sagan all aus their strength and weaknesses so I never ever imagined and taught anyone of them could ever win all Monuments and most important Classics but with Pogacar i believe 🙏
@@ChrisHornerCycling that is not the whole story. The trouth is Vigo was better not only that time Pog forgot to eat. He put time on Pog on another moutain stage and on tt also.
I remember watching Tiger Woods, when he was at his best, teeing off at the British open. I felt I was in the presence of an all time sporting great. Whether I'll ever see Tadje compete in the flesh I don't know but he's a once in a 30 year cyclist. Of that i have no doubt
Pogacar was able to execute his Plan A leading into a fantastic win. He and his UAE Emirates squad did not panic and were able to deliver the goods. The first crash was a massive gamechanger for the race, but competitive sport is all about how you respond to fortune and misfortune. Pogacar and co were able to make the most of the situation and hats off to them for doing so. Some of the interviewers joked with Pogacar about attempting Paris Roubaix, but I have a feeling Pogacar would rather do a grand tour over that one.
he gave quite a strategic answer indeed. but if he ever decides to go for Roubaix, then it will be at the tail end of his career - a bit like Gilbert did.
And most painful of all, to a full blown MVDP fan, you got his number! He's a real hot head who, from time to time loses his grip on common sense. That's the bane of his existence. Juuuust a bit more level headed, Mathieu. Just that bit more self control. But what can you do? You are what you are. And when the chips do fall your way... oh man... so beautiful to watch. A real warrior.
Chris is in general always on the money with his predictions and analysis. Time for Chris to become a team principal ❤oh oh I watch bike racing because of Chris !
I think the fact that it was such a hard race gave Pog the chance to take the victory. Considering VDP was only 12" behind after Paterberg, if things had been a bit easier (like the year before) or he had saved some more energy (that chasing early on, chain drop, the attack to drop Wout, ...), he might have been able to stay with Pogacar/get back on him.
IMO, when MVDP attacked, he was not aiming to attack Pogacar but aiming to attack WVA because at that point MVDP must have sensed weakness in WVA. MVDP could be thinking of dropping WVA and after that he would only have Pogacar to contend with, but Pogacar was just on godly form, and would have attacked MVDP anyway.
That Bahrain dude is a knucklehead for the ages. He got pinched and didn't want to lose thirty positions so he goes mountain biking. Not everyone can tell their grandkids they crashed multiple world champions out at Flanders. Legend.
yeah, they took him out of the race and he apologized on twitter (what can you do) - but I am afraid this that incident is all people will remember of him.
Racing is so much better than when you have 2 guys that could win. We’re living in the days now where we have 3, maybe 5+ guys that can win. So exciting!
I think you're wrong. MVDP didn't attack Pogacar, he attacked Van Aert and wanted to go to the finish with Pog. Best way for him to do that is with a surprising and explosive effort:Kwaremont is for Pog to pace and Paterberg everyone is on the limit. So perfectly timed on Kruisberg, Wout was not explosive enough to follow and once the other two had a gap, his race was over.
Interesting that he says that if he wants to do the hell of the North then he will have to gain some more weight. So can we assume he is also a bit more heavier now that a GC rider for these classics? Would be interesting to see if he can race the tour if he was heavier against Jonas who will be completely focused and what seems now only for that 1 race of the year. Interesting Pogacar says even if he does not win another race his season was already made... He is probably just saying that because of the achievement
There was plenty of road and there wasn't....organizers should have posted one of those yellow blow up deals on that perhaps or a person with a flag. I feel bad for all involved but road furniture and traps like that need to be identified better so ultimately I call knuckleheadism on the course crew.
it was certainly a knucklehead move. possibly carreer ending. - I remember the TdF 2011 incident where a car bumbed Johnny Hoogerland and Juan Antonio Flecha into a barbed wire fence.
Before he turned 25 Merckx actually won about 3 times as many races - but Pogacar is something special indeed. How 'great' somebody is, is also defined by the competition - we are lucky that competition is strong too.
Mathieu does what Mathieu does. End of story. And I love his style of racing. He could have been caught in any of these big crashes, but he didn't. He just loitered at the back, like he always does. And got 2nd.
To me it is fascinating that out of 175 pro riders 79 did not finish and 64kg dude who we knew was the most dangerous actually won. Pogačar can definitely take Milan-San Remo if he times the Poggio attack right, but question is going forward will he or should he ever contest Paris-Rubaix or is it better to stick to stage races in Basque?
I'm two minutes into Chris Horner's race analysis and the tension is high. 270 km's to go and two riders take off! 234 km's to go: Alpecin burning matches trying desperately to catch up. They are not represented in the break and MVDP was sleeping. With 230 km's to go! I wonder if MVDP has time to catch up. Is it too late? (Edited to add that I love Chris Horner's race analysis.)
What happened proved yet again that being such a long and difficult race RVV depends on luck - WVA and MVDP both caught in that major crash early on meant that winning was unlikely since they both had to dig deep just to catch up to Pog.
MVDP miscalculated when he attacked Pog. If he instead just stick to Pog wheel, he would probably beat Pog in sprint. And so Pog counterattacked and got some lead and then in TT of last 12km won. Anyway he wouldn’t be MVDP if wouldn’t attack.
Amazing race and finale into headwind always the best to see pog and vdp continue to pull away from group of 7-8 at that distance and attrition the strongest are always at the front! Incredible race historic literally and fastest edition ever because everyone trying to get ahead of these 3 stars like you said and VDP/Tadej especially were flying even vdp said it was his strongest performance and he was proud just one guy was stronger. I think TJV have to be willing to let a laporte or DVB, were he racing, get into that van hoydonk role and race like mads did or quickstep when they had boonen and let devolder win twice and terpstra they called cancellara and companys bluff. As long as they are comitted to winning with wout the advantage of that superteam gets negated they can only make race faster which only helps strongest which has been tadej or even mathieu. Agreed it was awesome edition besides the crashes and honestly I understand vdp wanting to distance WVA especially with mads ahead but agree cant let tadej counterpunch you know where hes going just sit on. He did it perfectly at MSR just needed same formula...points for panache but im sure hed prefer to win. Looking forward to Basque and Roubaix thanks!
Tadej is only the 3rd person in History to win Tour of Flanders and Tour of the France. Anyways, last year Tadej was not healthy and did not have teammates and i hope he and his team are ready for revenge in the tour of france.
The best rider won ! And youre wright , Wout his faul must have hit him. Because last 2 weeks he was riding everyboddy home, he even gived a victory away ...
@@ChrisHornerCycling at this point i gotta think the peloton is starting to think about how they can gang up on him. i swear, this tour is bouta be the ONE
Not sure if I would categorise the attack on the Kruisberg a real mistake. It got rid of van Aert and he's always dangerous in the sprint (though he would likely have been dropped on the Oude Kwaremont anyway). But getting caught in the wrong echelon definitely is a costly one (though im not sure if it would have mattered vs this form Pogacar).
What a time to be a cycling fan! These guys are so well matched with different skill sets. What a show.🎉
It’s good viewing and cheering 👊🦋🔥💥🚴
@@ChrisHornerCycling Quality time on the chesterfield.
It's like been a football fan at Messi and CR7's peak.
I started out just watching the tour now I’m a big fan of all the pro races !!
The one day classics are the best races of the year, every year.
It's absolutely breathtaking how Pogacar lights up the Oude Kwaremont. Such a display of raw power.
In the Dutch newspapers this morning, MvdP admitted that he never put out more watts than on the last 12km chase. Pogacar looked like he was suffering as well, and said he almost broke on the last Paterberg ascent. Unbelievable how they can recover so quickly and do a 12km time trial.
It isn't really surprising MVDP never put out more watts in that last 12km than other times. With the other times he always had someone with him and a pretty nice gap, meaning both splitting the efforts and not having to go deep into the red.
Amstel gold when the dragged everyone with him comes to mind
@@treadtyred9742 I think he meant that he never put out more watts in the last 12km in RVV. It doesn't make sense to be anything else after such a hard long race.
What a race!!! Loved his comment. If I retired today I could be happy with my career. Pogacar, the most exciting rider to watch, even his competitors watch in awe.
Yep. Today was big 👊🦋
Pogacar has really grown on me. His team is a mess most of the time, but he is just hands down the best rider around right now.
And nobody seems to be having as much fun doing it. Even when he loses he has a smile
Yep. He’s class 👊🦋
@@Patrick_Runnels Well to be fair it helps when you always win… after last year’s loss in Flanders he was not that good of a sport. But generally you are right.
Trentin did a good job
Tbf his team was great today. Launched him really well and then Trentin was a really strong satellite rider
Great coverage Chris thanks! WOW, Pogacar had an amazing race! I love that the guy's so humble. When asked how he did it, he said something like 'he just felt good' today. LOL. I hope Wout is ok! :( He was not on form after that crash.
PR is coming fast. Let’s hope so. 👊🦋🤞
Can't wait to see Pogacar race the Paris Roubaix in the future! It's been pretty amazing watching him race with MVDP and Von Art.
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Kudos to pogadcar, what an amazing race. He's a legend already
What an epic race. Pogacar just exceptional. Great time to be watching road racing. Thanks for the breakdown Chris.
Respect for Mathieu Van Der Poel. 2 wins, 2 second places, and a 4th place in 5 starts at Ronde. Only 16 seconds behing Pogacar today.
Agreed. Brave in the chase too. He could have backed off 30-50watts and still rolled in for second but he left it all on the road. Looked like it hurt!
@@KD_cycling yes - I got the idea that he just wanted to be on the Pogacar finish photo.
@@alphaniner3770 haha you could be right. And you never know when your opponent might crack or start cramping after a race that hard. Gotta be there to win it!
@@KD_cycling - at 10km Pogacar seemed to be reaching for a gel in his pocket - or could be just getting a chewing gum for kissing his fiance - but you never know indeed.
Forgot to mention Powless and Jorgensen. There has NEVER been more Americans in the top 10 then (WHAT) BELGIANS. Wow and it was Powless' maiden voyage at Flanders. So proud of those guys representing on such a blistering fast day. Go Red, White and Blue.
It was a good ride. Right. 👊🦋
red, white and blue are also the Dutch and Slovenian and 154 other countries' colours ;-)
@@Markotram I was reffing to the 2 Americans that finished in the top 10. Yes there are many flags around the world that bare the red, white and blue colours.
Wooohhoooo! Waiting the whole day for this!
👊🦋💥
Difficult is an understatement. Brutal crashes today. Game of survival!!Too bad. Poor decisions and poor bike handling could very well take out great racers for the season!
Cream of the crop rose to the top in the end. Great racing this year so far! Powless. Wow!
Thanks Chris for your expertise and analysis! Keep em coming!🦋
Powless went big 👊🦋
Its just a joy to watch Pogacar race! He just loves to race!
And for MvDP, he tried to be a hero... In sports, when you try to be a hero, usually things don't work out.
It’s easy to love racing when you always win.
🥈 yep. That had to hurt. 😬🦋
@@JohnDough-yr2zt yeah, but he has a strong training regimen that he has to do if he wants to be great. And talent, and luck is important as well. But I see a person who genuinely enjoys racing.
Such a great race today. I started watching at 5:30. Tadej dropped a bomb on EVERYONE out there today. Mvdp has his chances but they were asleep at the wheel for some reason and they paid for it in the end. Good job Mads for taking 3rd and you have to feel for Wout being on home turf and all but hey, he did his best and you never know about the knee after he went down. Feel so bad for Girmay, Mohoric, Sagan and the guy that caused that massive pile up. He got dq'ed straight away and he even knew it cause he unclipped to hop in the team car to cry. Gonna be a heck of a week of racing, can't wait to see it. Also, CHAPEAU to Lotte Kopecky and Demi Volering from SD workx
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Hi Mr Horner, Thank so much for this one of my favorite channel !
Thank you Chris. What a race!!!!
👊🦋🔥💥
I’ve been waiting all day CH!
You got it Jeff. 👊👊👊👊🦋🦋🦋
Chris, you are excellent! Many Slovenians are in resentment because you criticized paris nice 2021 beloved primož roglič's 6th stage attack. But you were right! You are fantastic, keep on doing good job, God bless you, greetings from Slovenija!!!
Woo! Sea Otter Classic represent! All my teammates were so proud of me for even FINISHING that dang race at Laguna Seca! Beautiful setting there, awesome place for a race. Thanks for another great video, Horner!
Gnarly course. Corkscrew is intense on a road bike!
It was fun courses. And so pretty there when the sun was out. 🌞👊🦋🚴
Tidbit: In danish TV2, interview with Søren Kragh Andersen, he explained how he was sick all week up to the race. He gave his all closing down that gap for MvdP at the 'start' of the race. Then had to abandon, with nothing left in the legs.
It looked like JSV and UAE were SET on bullying Alpecin/MvdP all day, maybe there was some 'alliance' there?
One of the best Flanders i've ever watched! And as usual, a nice, semi-competent analysis, CHris 🤭😜Well done, Chris, as always, to the point the american way, Thank You! 👌🤙
Neither Jumbo nor UAE pulled when MVP was cut out at the start. It their tactic was simply to race against him they would have done that.
Alpecin problem was that they did not have a man up front so not only they missed a bridge for the captain, but they also had to work more on the peloton
Only 3 TdF winners ever won de Ronde: Bobet (way in the old days), Eddy Merckx and Pog. Also the fastest Ronde ever; over 44K/h average. Neilson did hisself proud!
9:50 I liked the move by Laporte to bridge to Pog. No one has more pressure on him in this race than Van Aert which means he can't call a bluff if MVDP/Pidcock refuse to work when Van Aert has a teammate with him. If Laporte doesn't go ahead, he would be wasted pulling all three back to Pog. It was worth the risk to try to hurt MVP, it just didn't pan out.
I did some earlier videos where I talked about both MVDP and Wout having to chase PoG after the last climb. With that in mind every time Laporte took a pull, Pog was not pulling. But I understand why Jumbo did it, I just wouldn’t trade a fresher Pog for a more tired MVDP. 🤔🦋👍
@@ChrisHornerCycling I'm pretty sure that you have passed kidney stones that know more about cycling than I do, so you are probably right. The dynamics between those three are just fascinating! Anyway, thanks for the awesome commentary!
@@ChrisHornerCycling Thing is, it looked like Pogacar was going to sit up. By Laporte joining him, they could try to have Laporte take weak turns to get Pogacar to keep doing full turns and waste more energy. In the end it seems Pogacar didn't fall for that since he did seem to be holding back a bit, which is why they got caught pretty early.
fun facts : Pogacar tour of Flanders is excluded from Strava segment classification, because too high to be true 😂, 44 km/h, i think fastest tour ever.
Hehehe. I once had a Strava segment flagged and taken down. I wrote in with a few words saying. I’m a Grand Tour winner. The next day it was back up. 😂👊🦋🚴
I guess I was really wrong about my prediction😅 that’s what cycling is all about! What a race to watch! Really thought MVDP would hold up with POG but he really deserved the win, absolutely destroyed the Dutchman. I rather see this than a sprint bc to show dominance like this it really shows who was stronger and tactically smarter. Rather than a bike throw for the line where a split second only makes the difference!
That was great day of racing. 👊🦋💥
I predicted that Mattieu would solo to the finish. well he did that and destroyed the field, with the exception of one that was even better... it was a great race to watch (except these nasty crashes).
Great analysis. You cover all the finer points everyone else misses.
I thought that was a beautiful, if futile, gesture when Van Hooyodonck dropped back to bring Wout back. Remember he was in the lead group, had not worked as much as the others, and he has been in great form this season. He scuttled his chances for a podium spot in one of the biggest races. Wout will have dozens more chances for glory but Nathan Van Hooyodonck willingly, selflessly, sacrificed his one best chance for a teammate today.
That’s what they do. 🚴🥲👍🦋
Literally his job.
Van Hooydonck said afterwards he already was f*cked up in that group, which is why he wanted to drop back immediately when Wout got distanced to work for him, but wout told him to wait.
"Nobody's a knucklehead?"....What the heck? hahaha
Thanks for this great analysis Chris. And the flying arrows are a great addition to our understanding of the action!
I am really surprised, almost shocked. They have both cocked it up, Wout and Matthew have neglected strategic strength out of fear, thus allowing young Slovenian to penetrate deep into enemy's territory. 😎😁
Another great review, thanks again Chris. What an EPIC race, i was lucky enough to watch it from start to finish. FYI - Wout was able to get back so quick after the big accident as the peloton slowed right down after that big crash, this also allowed the gap to the break to balloon out from 2 to 6 mins (i think).
Pog flew up the Oude Kwaremont twice as if he was on a magic carpet.
Chris your analysis was on point. I remember asking you what team UAE should do and that exactly what they did. Put everyone to work and lauch Pog for attack on the climbs
The kid needs it as hard a race as they can make and then a little help from MVDP making a mistake or two and Wout crashing is enough. That was a good race. 💥🔥👊🦋
Wow, could not ask for a better matchup at the end! Do the service cars go around those cobbled climbs? Tough job getting everybody fed. Thanks Mr. Horner!
That was certainly a good one. I’m not certain which climbs the cars can pass on and which ones they have to go around for safety. Good question though. 🤔👍🦋
Loved seeing the 2 young Americans in the top 10!! I do not think in my time of watching racing that that has ever happened in the one day classics and I am old!! To bad about the crash that Wout was in ! Great race it sounds like I had no way of watching but congratulations to TDP!!! GREAT JOB CHRIS THANK YOU!! I watched your climb today in the TDS that was so awsome great job for a old guy!! That was a tough 17 seaconds I think it was!!🤜🤛👏👏👏
Yeah Jorgensen and Powless are awesome, been paying attention on those two
@@recrevs963 Yep we have 4 great riders from America that are doing awesome!!
Thanks Chris. John Oklahoma USA
Nice job as always Chris. Thanks!
I love the competition between the 3 great riders and your comments on the race. I thought a key point in the race that negatively impacts Matheiu Van Der Peol was when he dropped a chain early one of the climbs at a time Pogacar attached. He had to catch up and I believe on the same section attacked himself to drop WVA. I believe it was too much which hurt him later when he was dropped by Pogacar.
Best race I’ve ever seen !!!!
that was a truly hard race, well fought, bummer on the WVA crash, we're in an the golden age of cycling, I think, super amazing riders from so many different teams, Pogacar, Vinegaard, Roglic, WVA, MVDP, Evanpoel, Bernal (if he finally gets healthy). There are 3-4 riders who could win the TdF now, depending on so many things, glad for this, and the fact that PEDs aren't an issue these days - yeah yeah yeah, I know, mostly because of high altitude equivalents and PEDs being increasingly difficult to detect but it's good to have the racing be the thing. Also, super happy that there are great commentators like Chris coming to the fore.
11:18 - 11:30. Gladiators on the bike !!!!!! Awesome - 45 KPH ave, astounded, bamboozled , just mental
I never in the last 20 years of following cycling saw a talent who is nearly perfect in EVERYTHING, Lance, Contador, Froome, Sagan all aus their strength and weaknesses so I never ever imagined and taught anyone of them could ever win all Monuments and most important Classics but with Pogacar i believe 🙏
Me too 😳🙏👊🦋
Allways watching after races i follow
Like your perspective and insights
Some times the show is more exciting than the race itself 😊
Good job🤟
I cant understand how Vingegaard was able to defeat this monster last year at the tour😮
Simple version. Pog forgot to eat.
@@ChrisHornerCycling that is not the whole story. The trouth is Vigo was better not only that time Pog forgot to eat. He put time on Pog on another moutain stage and on tt also.
Pog was the strongest today.
Love the red pointer
Garrett upped his game on that. 👊🦋
Thanks professor!
I remember watching Tiger Woods, when he was at his best, teeing off at the British open. I felt I was in the presence of an all time sporting great. Whether I'll ever see Tadje compete in the flesh I don't know but he's a once in a 30 year cyclist. Of that i have no doubt
Yeah man, love your show Chris, great analysis!!
👊🦋
Pogacar was able to execute his Plan A leading into a fantastic win. He and his UAE Emirates squad did not panic and were able to deliver the goods. The first crash was a massive gamechanger for the race, but competitive sport is all about how you respond to fortune and misfortune. Pogacar and co were able to make the most of the situation and hats off to them for doing so. Some of the interviewers joked with Pogacar about attempting Paris Roubaix, but I have a feeling Pogacar would rather do a grand tour over that one.
he gave quite a strategic answer indeed. but if he ever decides to go for Roubaix, then it will be at the tail end of his career - a bit like Gilbert did.
2023, a season to remember! Some of the greatest racing ever!
👊🦋🔥💥
And most painful of all, to a full blown MVDP fan, you got his number! He's a real hot head who, from time to time loses his grip on common sense. That's the bane of his existence. Juuuust a bit more level headed, Mathieu. Just that bit more self control. But what can you do? You are what you are. And when the chips do fall your way... oh man... so beautiful to watch. A real warrior.
Very nice and detailed review! Hi there from Russia, Chris.
Pogo was on fire
The second crash is on Matej Mohorič too...
Bahrain Victorious 2 crashes cuz of them ...
My favorite race of the year never disappoints!
van der Poel is a masterclass in "how to destroy your own team in a race."
Fantastic breakdown Chris 🙏
👊🦋🙏
Chris is in general always on the money with his predictions and analysis. Time for Chris to become a team principal ❤oh oh I watch bike racing because of Chris !
😂👊👊🦋👍🚴
A great result for the Americans, well done, two in the top ten 👍👊🇺🇸
in hindsight TJV helping Pogacar against MVDP and then MVDP attacking first (against WvA) with Pogacar on his wheel, was all perfect for Pogacar.
The weather was easy today and TP was on his game.
👊🦋
What a day!
👊🦋🔥
I think the fact that it was such a hard race gave Pog the chance to take the victory. Considering VDP was only 12" behind after Paterberg, if things had been a bit easier (like the year before) or he had saved some more energy (that chasing early on, chain drop, the attack to drop Wout, ...), he might have been able to stay with Pogacar/get back on him.
First time watching this race. I get the hype now! MVDP said he felt so good that he went for the move. He'll learn from this mistake.
that crash was brutal😅
Yes it was 😬🦋
Km 16 to km 15, VdP had so much drafting behind the moto
What Pogacar did today is so amazing.....big applause for the best cyclist in recent memory!!!
👊🦋💥🔥
Chris, what are your feelings regarding DSM bringing things to a standstill then attacking over the top of the climb?
IMO, when MVDP attacked, he was not aiming to attack Pogacar but aiming to attack WVA because at that point MVDP must have sensed weakness in WVA. MVDP could be thinking of dropping WVA and after that he would only have Pogacar to contend with, but Pogacar was just on godly form, and would have attacked MVDP anyway.
Right, drop the guy that could have helped you catch Pog when he lights it up again, just to try all by yourself? Not smart, in my book.
@@henseleric based on what we saw, WVA would have been dropped badly by Pog anyway on OK and unable to stick with MVDP to chase Pog later
That Bahrain dude is a knucklehead for the ages. He got pinched and didn't want to lose thirty positions so he goes mountain biking. Not everyone can tell their grandkids they crashed multiple world champions out at Flanders. Legend.
yeah, they took him out of the race and he apologized on twitter (what can you do) - but I am afraid this that incident is all people will remember of him.
Racing is so much better than when you have 2 guys that could win. We’re living in the days now where we have 3, maybe 5+ guys that can win. So exciting!
I think you're wrong. MVDP didn't attack Pogacar, he attacked Van Aert and wanted to go to the finish with Pog. Best way for him to do that is with a surprising and explosive effort:Kwaremont is for Pog to pace and Paterberg everyone is on the limit. So perfectly timed on Kruisberg, Wout was not explosive enough to follow and once the other two had a gap, his race was over.
Interesting that he says that if he wants to do the hell of the North then he will have to gain some more weight. So can we assume he is also a bit more heavier now that a GC rider for these classics?
Would be interesting to see if he can race the tour if he was heavier against Jonas who will be completely focused and what seems now only for that 1 race of the year. Interesting Pogacar says even if he does not win another race his season was already made... He is probably just saying that because of the achievement
VdP bet to ride behind to avoid collateral crashes, in expense of position. It's just a gamble that didn't pay off. Congrats Pog
The crash... have we ever witnessed a bigger knucklehead move?
“Allez Opi-Omi” sign chick.
There was plenty of road and there wasn't....organizers should have posted one of those yellow blow up deals on that perhaps or a person with a flag. I feel bad for all involved but road furniture and traps like that need to be identified better so ultimately I call knuckleheadism on the course crew.
👆true that one, Alex opi-Omi. So BIG, yikes 😳😬🦋
it was certainly a knucklehead move. possibly carreer ending.
- I remember the TdF 2011 incident where a car bumbed Johnny Hoogerland and Juan Antonio Flecha into a barbed wire fence.
You have always said, MVDP needs to stop hanging out in the back of the peloton. Today was a perfect example
Right. And Wout was back there for a while also. Those big classic guys love to sit back there and chat all day long every day. 😂🦋👊
Is he coached by Steve Cummings? 🙂
Pogacar is going to be the greatest ever. He is only 24 years old.
Before he turned 25 Merckx actually won about 3 times as many races - but Pogacar is something special indeed. How 'great' somebody is, is also defined by the competition - we are lucky that competition is strong too.
No 25 year
Remco Evenepoel is the greatest cyclist of all time. No question
@@user-nh8kj2ph9f his watts per cm are indeed greatest
@@user-nh8kj2ph9f That’s what he said. 😆. Too soon to tell but definitely talented. Tough group of young riders to beat every race.
I was proud of the Danes today. 👍
Stay safe 🤘🇺🇲🇩🇰🤘
Mathieu does what Mathieu does. End of story. And I love his style of racing. He could have been caught in any of these big crashes, but he didn't. He just loitered at the back, like he always does. And got 2nd.
True. 👊🦋
To me it is fascinating that out of 175 pro riders 79 did not finish and 64kg dude who we knew was the most dangerous actually won. Pogačar can definitely take Milan-San Remo if he times the Poggio attack right, but question is going forward will he or should he ever contest Paris-Rubaix or is it better to stick to stage races in Basque?
He already said he needed to add a couple kilograms and train his hands for Roubaix 😂. He kept it open but i'm sure he will try Roubaix in the future.
I'm two minutes into Chris Horner's race analysis and the tension is high. 270 km's to go and two riders take off! 234 km's to go: Alpecin burning matches trying desperately to catch up. They are not represented in the break and MVDP was sleeping. With 230 km's to go! I wonder if MVDP has time to catch up. Is it too late? (Edited to add that I love Chris Horner's race analysis.)
Hehehe. Right. Just don’t sit at the back. It’s free coaching here, literally free. 😂👊🦋
What if it *was* tactics? I mean MVDP attacked on Kruisberg because he knew Pogi would drop him on Kwaremont
What happened proved yet again that being such a long and difficult race RVV depends on luck - WVA and MVDP both caught in that major crash early on meant that winning was unlikely since they both had to dig deep just to catch up to Pog.
I think Tadej could’ve just kept on going 😂 That was one of the most unbelievable races I’ve ever seen!
MVDP miscalculated when he attacked Pog. If he instead just stick to Pog wheel, he would probably beat Pog in sprint. And so Pog counterattacked and got some lead and then in TT of last 12km won. Anyway he wouldn’t be MVDP if wouldn’t attack.
4th! Called it💁🏼♂️ 😂😂
They’re all over 250k for the men
I feel for Alaphilippe. Deserves better than getting injured.
yeah, his interview after was heart breaking
Amazing race and finale into headwind always the best to see pog and vdp continue to pull away from group of 7-8 at that distance and attrition the strongest are always at the front! Incredible race historic literally and fastest edition ever because everyone trying to get ahead of these 3 stars like you said and VDP/Tadej especially were flying even vdp said it was his strongest performance and he was proud just one guy was stronger.
I think TJV have to be willing to let a laporte or DVB, were he racing, get into that van hoydonk role and race like mads did or quickstep when they had boonen and let devolder win twice and terpstra they called cancellara and companys bluff. As long as they are comitted to winning with wout the advantage of that superteam gets negated they can only make race faster which only helps strongest which has been tadej or even mathieu. Agreed it was awesome edition besides the crashes and honestly I understand vdp wanting to distance WVA especially with mads ahead but agree cant let tadej counterpunch you know where hes going just sit on. He did it perfectly at MSR just needed same formula...points for panache but im sure hed prefer to win. Looking forward to Basque and Roubaix thanks!
Pogacar slaps back ,that's for sure.
True that 💥👊🦋
Tadej is only the 3rd person in History to win Tour of Flanders and Tour of the France. Anyways, last year Tadej was not healthy and did not have teammates and i hope he and his team are ready for revenge in the tour of france.
how about that one chris?? wow!
That was a good for sure Edward. 👊🦋💥🔥🏆
The best of the classics so far. 👊🦋
The best rider won ! And youre wright , Wout his faul must have hit him. Because last 2 weeks he was riding everyboddy home, he even gived a victory away ...
He didn't look stronger than Pog and MVDP at E3, he even admitted to it. And at G-W there was no Pog and MVDP, so there's that.
Chris- what channel do you stream your races on? I have GCN and GCN+ but Ronde isn’t on either. Any help?
Get a VPN address for your computer. Then bam. You have the race 💥👊🦋🔥🚴
@@ChrisHornerCycling will do
Pog is amazing
You can see in Chris face from the set go.. He did enjoyed the race
Knuckleheads!
Wow pog personally t-bagged the best of the best
On their special Holy roads even. 😬😳🔥🦋🥇
@@ChrisHornerCycling at this point i gotta think the peloton is starting to think about how they can gang up on him.
i swear, this tour is bouta be the ONE
@@methylmike too many teams start racing for podium spots in the first week of the Tour.
I was rooting for you when you had to name 8 Flemish/Dutch /Belgian guys in that first break. 😅
Great commentary as ever 👍
Not sure if I would categorise the attack on the Kruisberg a real mistake. It got rid of van Aert and he's always dangerous in the sprint (though he would likely have been dropped on the Oude Kwaremont anyway). But getting caught in the wrong echelon definitely is a costly one (though im not sure if it would have mattered vs this form Pogacar).