Let’s not forget he managed to top-10 two races this year. I agree the E3-Dwars-Gent triple is way too much for someone his age but I wouldn’t completely write off his season just yet. And based on power data, a 200k Classic in the bunch isn’t much harder than the six hour training rides he’s been doing in Mallorca.
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GVFTA
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Unless we know what he and team management had planned going into the races, any comments are pure conjecture. Simmons is obviously very talented and may have a very structured plan for the spring that is built around getting to the finish line at PR. We don't know.
On another note (due to Remco comparison) how many 200k races did Evenpoel ride by this time last year (or at all), before his San Sebastian win?
If the races were no harder than his training rides, there would be zero reason to pull him out. Which was the point we were discussing.
None (by this time last year).
Evenepoel did some 195-199k races (Nokere Koerse, Handzame Classic, stage in Tour of Turkey) end of March - begin of April. In May, there was a 224k stage in Norway, and then two 205k stages in Adriatica Ionica in July. Basically none of those were hard raced and with a quality field comparable to Omloop and KBK. He won San Sebastian (227k) in august.
Bonimenier
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Exactly, they eased him in much better
You forgot Belgian RR which was 220+ as well iirc
That may be the case in terms of Normalised Power but no structured session is going to compare to how erratic and demanding a WT race can be, especially when the majority of the peloton doesn't like how the break of the day is forming early on.
Triathletes regularly make that mistake. As for the Evenepoel comparisons, Simmons is not Evenepoel and Evenepoel isn't Simmons. They will not have the same development curve
Yes sorry. I overlooked that one. It was also 30th of June already by then.Exactly, they eased him in much better
You forgot Belgian RR which was 220+ as well iirc
GVFTA
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If you think you can make that claim based on looking at someone's Strava account, I must ride with people who are waisting their time with a day job. They should be WT riders.
I don't even have to look at his Strava account for that. Could you please explain to me what the logic would be behind pulling a rider from a race, when his average training rides are harder?
I get the distinct feeling you have not really read what we were discussing.
GVFTA
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Oh, I understand that you think there are "zero reasons" why. You ask for logic from me, as to why there could be any other, just one, reason why? I hope your ride was as nice as mine today. Nothing like snow in the mountains with dry roads and warm air. Adios
Great argument.
He's riding 3 semi classics in 4 days. He eagerly wants to ride these races. He pulls out of each and every one of them. Those are the facts. But <theory> his training rides are harder or equally hard as these actual races? Yes, i have a hard time believing that, nor do i see any logic behind it. According to this hypothesis, the races can't be too hard, so that can't be the reason to pull him out. Then what do you think is the reason? There's a TV show on around 4 in the afternoon that he really can't miss? He wants to avoid the press at the finish? He just wants to gain experience in starting the race, but not in riding the final? Maybe i'm completely overlooking something here, and maybe i'll look like a fool when somebody posts a reasonable explanation, but i can't imagine that he would pull out 3 times in a row, if indeed his training rides are as hard or harder than the race. It also makes no sense, since basically every rider says the same thing, in order to get in top shape, you need to ride actual races and no amount of training rides will cut it. Because a training ride is never the same as an actual race.
He's riding 3 semi classics in 4 days. He eagerly wants to ride these races. He pulls out of each and every one of them. Those are the facts. But <theory> his training rides are harder or equally hard as these actual races? Yes, i have a hard time believing that, nor do i see any logic behind it. According to this hypothesis, the races can't be too hard, so that can't be the reason to pull him out. Then what do you think is the reason? There's a TV show on around 4 in the afternoon that he really can't miss? He wants to avoid the press at the finish? He just wants to gain experience in starting the race, but not in riding the final? Maybe i'm completely overlooking something here, and maybe i'll look like a fool when somebody posts a reasonable explanation, but i can't imagine that he would pull out 3 times in a row, if indeed his training rides are as hard or harder than the race. It also makes no sense, since basically every rider says the same thing, in order to get in top shape, you need to ride actual races and no amount of training rides will cut it. Because a training ride is never the same as an actual race.
GVFTA
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Bonimenier
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GVFTA
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Having ridden in Mallorca and northern Europe I can say with authority that a 200k day in Mallorca, even in February, is about the same as 100k in cold, windy, semi-cobbled northern France. With much better scenery.
That aside, I think it's also fair to say that many or even most riders who don't make the split or the first two selections in an early season race, especially in the north, pull the plug. No sense in battling bad weather if your tank is empty just to finish, say 40th in a finishing field of 45., good way to catch a cold.
That aside, I think it's also fair to say that many or even most riders who don't make the split or the first two selections in an early season race, especially in the north, pull the plug. No sense in battling bad weather if your tank is empty just to finish, say 40th in a finishing field of 45., good way to catch a cold.
I also assume the latter scenario is the case. Then the question remains, what's the point? No sense in battling bad weather... unless you don't care about the result but about gaining experience? If he's not going to finish Samyn, what's the point in even starting Paris Roubaix?
Anyway, i'm out for the time being. Hope the kid does well but i can't wrap my head around his schedule in light of what has happened in the past week. No need to repeat it a dozen times, especially when caught up in surreal discussions. (FYI I'm not talking about you, Bolder).
he says on instagram that stuyven were working for him in the end, but then he got a puncture and it all went down the drain.
He's in great form. Especially considering he's a relatively heavy guy. Maybe he's lost some weight by now?
I came in a bit too heavy and paid the price. I got too obsessed with the idea that, as a Classics rider, I needed to be some big 80kg rider, and I kind of lost the ability to go uphill and still sprint at the end of it, which is what I’m good at.
By the way, take this with a grain of salt because the credibility is really, really questionable, but there have been rumblings of his running mate Magnus Sheffield being in contact with Ineos. I'll immediately add that, if this were to hold any truth, we, as a sport, have gone too far with juniors signings.
Very good ride from Simmons. Interesting to note that he finished over 2 minutes in front of L’Avenir winner Tobias Foss.
Does start to make you question the validity of the under 23 category and if it should be trimmed back to 21 and under as seeing a guy 4/5 years older than the youngest world tour rider feels a bit underwhelming as the best of Foss’ contemporaries have moved on long ago and thrived in with the big boys.
Does start to make you question the validity of the under 23 category and if it should be trimmed back to 21 and under as seeing a guy 4/5 years older than the youngest world tour rider feels a bit underwhelming as the best of Foss’ contemporaries have moved on long ago and thrived in with the big boys.
He's riding Dwars door het Hageland today. Don't know if he copes with gravel, but otherwise, this should be right up his alley.
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