Waiting for the second part of the Northern Campaign to begin with theAmstel Gold Race Let's take stock of what happened with regards to the "three tenors". We are talking about those three riders (Alaphilippe, Van Aert e Van der Poel in strict alphabetical order, starting on the Poggio at the last Sanremo) who on the eve of each race are indicated as the big favourites.
It's strange that when it comes down to it, this role is often neglected, even in the main events. It's undeniable that they are the ones who put on the most show, but it's also true that in today's cycling there is a levelling of values that often rewards other riders. How it Stuyven of Sanremo or theAsgreen of Flanders, capable of exploiting winning team strategies. And perhaps the answer lies precisely here, in the increased importance that "desktop" work and improvised invention have assumed.
Alaphilippe so and so
Let's start with the French world champion. Despite expectations, there is no denying that the start of the season Alaphilippe did not live up to its reputation. Among the three tenors, the rider of the Deceuninck-Quick Step he's the one who ran the most, 16 daysHowever, he achieved only one victory, in the 2nd stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico, along with 3 podiums including second place at the Strade Bianche. Yet, already on that occasion, in his annoyed by the defeat against Mathieu Van Der Poel, there were signs of how things would go in the following weeks.
There's time to put things right, starting from Freccia and Liège and then up to the Olympic race, considering Tokyo's path. But it is clear that some signal must arrive, also to dispel the old saying about bad luck linked to the rainbow jersey…
VdP, now the MTB…
Many consider Mathieu Van Der Poel to be the absolute star of the season. The second of the three tenors certainly impressed everyone with his Garibaldian style of running, which in 15 days of competition it brought him 4 victoriesA stage of the UAE Tour was abandoned due to two Covid cases in his team. Strade BiancheTwo stages at the Tirreno-Adriatico. 3 more podiums added including the second place in Flanders and the third in Harelbeke.
In the UCI ranking he has collected 801 points, his second highest haul of the year and this only increases the regret for his choice to leave the road to begin preparing for the MTB Olympics. We will see him again at the Tour of Switzerland and then at the Tour, but always thinking about off-roading.
Van Aert collects points
It is curious that even running less (12 days), among the three tenors Van Aert is the one who has collected the most points, a sign of great consistency in performance. For him two victories, one at the Tirreno-Adriatico (where he was second in the standings) and then the Ghent-Wevelgem, plus 4 podiums including the third place in Sanremo.
One could almost say that Flanders finished in 6th place it was the lowest point of the beginning of the seasonYet Wout had started with many doubts and the disappointment of the cyclocross World Championship to overcome. For him, Amstel and then the Tour and the second part of the season await him. the double Olympic objective between road race and time trial, then the world championship at home, where he wants to erase the still too recent defeat of Ostend, even if on a different bike…
