Everyone was waiting Van der Poel, but he's "not there." Mathieu freezes Val di Sole. And perhaps Val di Sole froze him too. In Vermiglio he wins, or rather dominates, Michael VanthourenhoutHandsome, powerful, with his legs always pushing forward.
Even though there were no youth categories, which "fill" the cross-country tracks, The crowd was warm and large. The cheering was loud and clear. And if most of the crowd was here for Mathieu, and his announced victory, it was nice to see him turn.
Constance Vanthourenhout
VdP started in the second row and it was possible that he would not be in the lead straight away, but after two laps the alarm bells started ringing. Up front, Vanthourenhout was putting in a series of fast laps: 7'30”, 7'15”… up to 7'03”.
The rider of Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal All in all, he had an open score. Last year he had been second. And only that phenomenon of Van Aert He had beaten him. He wouldn't give up for anything in the world.
«Compared to last year – said the European champion at the end of the race – the The route was more technical and also tougher. This toughness was due to the icier surface. There was less snow, but the real difference was in not making mistakes in the most hectic driving phases."
And in fact Michael made the difference with his consistency. A great performance, okay, but while the others were making mistakes, he was gliding by as if he were on asphalt. And consistency has always been his forte.
Applause and silence
Compared to what he said on the eve, Van der Poel got one thing right and one thing wrong. He had been keen to identify Vanthourenhout as the most dangerous man, but He was most likely wrong when he told us that the cold wouldn't have any effect.
After the finish line, he continues straight. The organizers would like to divert him into the mixed zone for interviews, but in those meters after the finish line, where the bike is allowed to flow, His team manager tells him to keep going. Mathieu pushes through the crowd, which applauds him, but falls into a deafening silence.
And even subsequent attempts with the press officer don't change things. Van der Poel wanted to win, but he didn't succeed and he got angry. That's understandable.
Cold weather beats VdP
And for a VdP that is closing in silence, there is the sharpest eye present in Val di Sole to clarify things: Martino Fruet, Today he was the technical commentator for the event and yesterday he was on the track doing laps. And he had done one lap with the champion of the Alpecin-Deceuninck.
One wonders if perhaps the faster route today has not limited its power. Yesterday, only he could do the ramps on his bike. Today, everyone did them.
"In fact," says Fruet, "power mattered more yesterday, and so did technique. Yesterday, riding was similar to riding on sand: slower speeds and pedaling. It was basically like SFR continues. He was pushing hard again today, but he seemed tacked up.
«For me, if anything, what paid the price today was the cold. He came from Spain and the climatic change made itself felt. Yesterday, in the end, the temperature was just above zero. It was damp, but not freezing (he even rode without gloves, which he was wearing today, ed.). And in any case, he didn't have to push hard."
«Of one thing I am certain: if the race had been yesterday, everything would have been different. Yesterday, when Mathieu accelerated, he didn't need to reach 100 pedal strokes per minute like today. He had to push and then think about staying upright, because the bike was going from side to side. I was right behind his wheel, and he couldn't hold on when he opened the throttle. Today, he wasn't in that condition."
In the first laps, Van der Poel tried to come back. You could see it in his commitment, in the effort on his face. But he always lost about ten seconds. Then, when he realized he couldn't win anymore, he "gave up." He doesn't need to be "thumbs up"... Either he wins, or he's done!
Those missing watts
And according to Fruet, the excuse that VdP didn't have the race pace doesn't hold water.
"I'm not convinced," Fruet retorts. "We'll have to see what he's done in these two weeks. If we think about how he won in Antwerp, before his retreat in Spain, he lacked nothing. He accelerated hard, drove well... and was from another planet. With those two revs, he created a vacuum... and there was Van Aert!
«Hey, all these are hypotheses. Maybe tomorrow morning he'll have a fever of 40 and we're here talking nonsense. But yesterday, I repeat, he would have won with three minutes, Not that he would have taken them like today. He didn't have his leg, It wasn't producing its 1.000 watts. In my opinion, it was missing 300.".
A strangled scream then in Val di Sole? Perhaps, but there was no shortage of entertainment. And even as we write this, and the cats are clearing the track that will be turned back into a cross-country ski trail tomorrow, the party continues. People sing, dance, and await the 2023 edition.
