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I don't really get Wout's strategy. He rides all year for Jumbo, sacrifices himself during the Tour for Vingo (which must take its toll) then gets stick from the Belgians for under-performing during the classics, which he said he wanted to be a 'big fish' in. All while riding cross and going for it in the national and world championships in between.
As @thegreatbelow said he completely emptied himself yesterday (Ultimately for what? So Pog could sit on Jumbo's wheels, conserve energy then successfully attack Vingo?) but I don't think he's going quite as well as he was last year anyway (and his results support this).
It seems obvious to this armchair DS that he's spreading himself too thinly, but is it him? Is he one of those people that overcommits and tries to do everything? Or is it Jumbo? And if so why is he going with a strategy which sacrifices his own personal success? Money? Or because he sort of managed to do that successfully last year?
Fox-
Relatively and very relatively speaking he’s perhaps not quite good enough?
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If he hadn't punctured Wout could have very well won P-R, he was right there on final climb of Milan San Sleepo, and his CX season battles were all very close run things, he wasn't eating mud in 12th place with the rest of the full season cyclocross lifers. Wout's main problem outside GC racing is MVDP, and I don't think it's his GC commitments are the impediment to his non-stage racing success.
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Is he really spreading himself too thinly? He's done 28 race days so far this year, which is nothing (Jack Haig has done 59 for example).
I think he races on the front foot in the Tour, am not convinced he does the same at the classics.
GoatandTricycle
youramericanlover
andyp
Wout sometimes looks like if he said "fuck it" and pushed on he could win the tour on his own.