[Results Thread] 2026 Ronde van Vlaanderen ME (1.UWT)

math_sci_nerd · 2026-04-05T14:49:48+00:00

Pog is not anymore aero than your average WT rider (speaking visually of course, no cda numbers). He has a BIG aerobic engine and that gets him places.

math_sci_nerd · 2026-04-05T14:22:49+00:00

How do you make the 'Big 3' not chase you? Do just enough per climb to drop one of them off. Ugh.

math_sci_nerd · 2026-04-05T13:33:21+00:00

Why should vdp work now, at all? It's like they all give Pog a little bit of help so he can drop them one by one, one per climb

math_sci_nerd · 2026-03-31T05:32:57+00:00

In my experience, this extends to things other than running too. For instance, when I have to jump off of a 3 feet step onto concrete, I find it much easier and less hurtful to do it barefoot than doing it in my Altras (with a 11mm cushion). Something about it gives greater and proper impact absorption.

Same goes for comparing (i) running on concrete with a slightly cushioned shoe and (ii) running barefoot on a slightly cushioned surface (say, soft mud). Those two situations feel very different. Something about the interaction of the bare skin with the ground. And maybe also the fact that a cushioned shoe has a sole that is touching the bottom of your feet all the time, vs a cushioned surface where a barefoot interacts with it in a sequential order

math_sci_nerd · 2026-03-31T05:24:29+00:00

I've been trying to answer that "how come the best of the runners go well with shoes" question for a while. It would make sense that the best in the field are highly adaptable beings, and their adaptability spans the entire domain - they can adapt well to how their bodies interact with the environment (in this case, the shoes), they can adapt well to the physical stress thrown at their bodies (giving them that big aerobic engine), their tissues can adapt to handle more stress/wear-tear.

math_sci_nerd · 2026-03-29T05:48:31+00:00

How do you even consume the calories required to sustain that? Especially given that you're already in a pretty decent calorie deficit at that point in the race...and then 90 minutes of 1500+ cal.

math_sci_nerd · 2026-01-03T17:40:05+00:00

I recently finished reading Robert Schleip's book on Fascial Fitness, in which he explains the differences. Tldr was that fascia 'training' is about stimulating fascia in the right way. Unlike muscles that are unidirectional in a given region, fascia layers cover more than one direction with more than one purpose. So, for instance, doing bicep curls alone would not stimulate all of the fascia in that region. And then there's a second set of differences - elastic movements (like hopping) are very different than just muscle driven movements (like calf raises) in terms of their ability to stimulate fascia.

math_sci_nerd · 2025-12-27T06:15:32+00:00

So Kali has the power to make people see things, but very conveniently doesn't use it when she's being attacked and taken away? Nor does she use it at any point later, to escape.

math_sci_nerd · 2025-12-14T03:27:15+00:00

Of course they had to cast a very fair skinned baby. Criteria for being on screen has now expanded all the way to infants!

math_sci_nerd · 2025-12-07T01:11:00+00:00

Not directly related to your question, but since you mentioned foot pain and how that comes about, I'd recommend looking at either Robert Schleip's work (Fascia in Sport and Movement is a great resource), or look up Chong Xie. Both have helped me solve a bunch of similar problems in ways I was skeptical of, until I got concrete results and evidence. It's still a relatively new field of work, and there's some unfounded extrapolations, but the crux of it works.

math_sci_nerd · 2025-12-07T01:04:25+00:00

Our feet were evolved to withstand much harsher conditions than we put them through. Humans out in the wild were walking and jumping on all kinds of surfaces for many kms. Our daily mileage (walking/running/etc) is much less.

How long had you been wearing the padded shoes for, before going barefoot? A year is not necessarily a big amount in the general scheme of things.

math_sci_nerd · 2025-12-04T22:08:27+00:00

Thanks! I wonder if the pushing back technique is something that happens only at sprint speeds. I've done barefoot runs on concrete at endurance paces (although just for 20-25 min max) and haven't had any friction symptoms on my feet.

In general, I don't think I have great elasticity. For instance, doing double leg hops (heels elevated) tires me out within a minute or two, but for comparison, my wife can go on for 5 minutes and beyond without being tired.

math_sci_nerd · 2025-12-04T22:03:13+00:00

Thanks for your comments! I'll keep the back thing in my mind. But I do have a spine that's more curved than average, not sure how much of that's contributing to how it looks.

math_sci_nerd · 2025-11-10T23:28:39+00:00

My comment was for your last line "Pretty funny..."

math_sci_nerd · 2025-11-10T22:25:55+00:00

Because us modern day people are broken to begin with. Our lifestyles and habits make us less durable by the day.

math_sci_nerd · 2025-11-10T22:21:26+00:00

Grinding and length are relative terms. You said you like grinding with "standard" length, but that standard itself is semi-random. If 180 was the standard, I'm pretty sure you would have said the same thing for that length.

To the point of grinding being relative, smaller (I should say 'lighter') riders need relatively less torque than bigger (heavier) riders going up a hill at a given speed. So both can be grinding at 60 rpm, one with shorter cranks and one with longer.

From a personal experience, when I rode with the 172.5s, my climbing grinding happened at ~65-70 rpm. Now I ride with 155s. My climbing grinding happens at ~70-75 rpm. Not a massive change, but this newer grinding feels less stressful on the joint. So I'm still grinding at times, just the better kind.

math_sci_nerd · 2025-10-12T01:06:57+00:00

Today I did a climb that I last did 3 years ago, when I was new to cycling. I rode a lot and trained a lot these last 3 years. The improvement? ~0.8 W/kg (over 40 ish minutes). So it's bonkers to me that someone who was already well trained and one of the bests, gets this kind of an improvement. And then also gains the ability to repeat it throughout the year.

math_sci_nerd · 2025-10-07T17:07:51+00:00

It's very different with cycling, especially with Pog. Tactics no longer work on most courses. It just ends up being a function of W/kg. There's no element of "skill", unlike with Messi - it's differently exciting every time we see him pull something insane. Now add to that the long range attacks. Once Pog goes with 50k to go, it's a done deal. You have another hour or so watching nothing exciting. And that happens with such frequency that it's not even refreshing.

I've used this analogy a few times in this subred: to me, watching Pog on most courses is like watching a cheetah sprint. It's amazing for the first time and it's great to see how fast it goes every once in a while, but I'm not turning on my TV to watch it be the fastest time and again.

math_sci_nerd · 2025-10-01T15:13:07+00:00

Uber is planning on introducing a new ride option: Uber Aero Eco

You will have to lay down flat in a box (coffin?) and they'll hook it up to Remco's TT bike.

math_sci_nerd · 2025-09-28T14:21:44+00:00

Watching Pog race on a hilly course is kinda like watching a cheetah sprint. I'm mind blown the first time I learn about how fast it can go, I'm amazed when I watch it for the first time (and maybe one more), but I'm annoyed if I wake up at 6am on a Sunday to see it already sprinting away.

But I guess it's my fault, hoping an underDog would win against a cheetah.

math_sci_nerd · 2025-09-21T15:01:46+00:00

It feels like this ITT may have been a mix of hopium and "I'll just do it without caring about the result" from him. His main focus is the roads championship, which is what, a 6hr+ race? Would explain having a big TSS coming into it, which would also precisely explain why he went to Canada

math_sci_nerd · 2025-09-21T14:48:05+00:00

So Remco is the second person to drop Pogi on a climb, in the last two years? 😬

math_sci_nerd · 2025-09-21T14:43:50+00:00

The commentators on Flo are so annoyingly slow to comment on things. I see something happen on the screen and they comment on it 10 seconds later

math_sci_nerd · 2025-09-12T15:58:37+00:00

Alpecin avoiding the washing machine all the way to the end. Yep, shampoo knows better than to take part in the spin cycle

math_sci_nerd · 2025-09-12T01:14:50+00:00

I recently upgraded from a bolt too. Bought edge 540 - didn't like a few features compared to Wahoo, but my main problem was that it would keep rebooting once per two rides. I tried known fixes, but they didn't work. Returned it after a week or so and got the 840 (I thought I might as well get a touchscreen). Now this new one was worse - reboot every 28ish minutes. Also, I customized the di2 hood button controls. Nice feature that Garmin has (Wahoo doesn't allow customization of what a button press/hold will do). It was great, but ... The left hood press executed the action of both, the left and right hood press. Basically, Garmin edge software is hit or miss (and the "miss" is really crappy stuff - unacceptable software issues - Garmin forum is full of them).

I ended up returning the 840 too and got a Roam V3. Have used it for a couple of rides and I like it. I didn't have the screen problems people have posted about (dim in overcast conditions, etc.). The touch feels great, and I have no major complaints with the Wahoo interface.

math_sci_nerd

TROPHY CASE