F_Cance said:
Not sure when the last time was i saw something like that and i don't think that "i wasn't feeling good, but then the legs got better" is a sufficient explanation.
I don't know where you got the "all of a sudden the legs felt better" part. He never said that, in fact, if you look at his face on the final part of the climb, he looks ready to puke and drop dead. Before he counters Skujins' attack, you can see him communicate with Mas or Devenyns. Clearly he made the move first and foremost as a team tactic to protect Mas (the fact that he was carrying bottles supports that notion). He said he didn't feel good all day, but he knew the watts he could push on the last climb.
Regarding coming back twice. If indeed there was a mechanical issue causing him to drop too far back, having to chase back, it's perfectly possible he got caught behind a split twice by dangling too far back. Both times he got dropped it was within a few minutes. He gets back, after an effort, doesn't move up immediately and catches his breath, only to be caught behind another split. Movistar was already pushing the pedal and a lot of riders were getting dropped. Considering he attacks 5k later, this seems like a more likely scenario than him getting dropped because he isn't good enough, but is good enough to attack 5 minutes later. Only other explanation for that would be motordoping (which i don't buy). Not even EPO would explain that.
But, i have some questions regarding his CSS win in general to everyone here. If somebody in the peloton had attacked early on the last climb, and either caught him, or came really close, would you be asking the same questions? All he basically did, was survive 500 meters longer than Skujins (who by the way got over the top with the chasers). Granted, Skujins is a fine pro, but i'll go out on a limb and assume he wasn't exactly on anybody's list for this race and he weighs 9kg more than Remco.
When the others attacked, his lead dropped more than 10s (most he had was 48s and at one time it had dropped to 32 seconds iirc) until they started looking around again, but there were only 3 half hearted attacks: a joke attack by Valverde, a somewhat solid but short effort by Konrad and only Carthy going all in, but too late. For the rest, the climb was managed by movistar doms who had already died twice, and a 20 year old Hirschi, who is simply not in the same league as Evenepoel (and never was).
Mas was probably the strongest in the race, considering the how fresh he looked in the front all day, and how easily he countered every attack. He also played a big role imho by shutting everyone down.
Did he win because he was stronger than the others, or because he was less "dead" (has superior recuperation) after a heavy race and for some, a hard TDF? Keep in mind while others were dying in TDF, he had his first ever altitude camp which would be paying off about now (Adriatica Ionica came too soon imho).
If it were Bernal instead of Evenepoel, would you assume the same? Why not (if so).
Additionally, are we here because of his age? What age would have been acceptable for his tour-de-force? Would we be asking questions had it been Mas? Konrad? Valverde? How does this relate to Hirshi leading the chase in the final, who is only one year older, and less talented and how does it relate to Skujins who weighs 9kg more and only gets dropped 500m sooner? Was this (basically 30 minute) effort more impressive for a 19 year old, than winning the TDF is for a 22 year old?
As for motordoping accusations, imho those are laughable, because easy to detect and you always need a bike change. The added weight from a motor and batteries you have to drag along the entire race (especially in the mountains) is not factored out by the short time you can actually use the motor. You simply aren't going to drag +/- 7kg extra uphill all day, just to be able to use your turbo in the final or so 30k imho. I'm not buying this for a second.
Just like how van der Poel won Amstel, i think we need to look at the context. How the race unfolded. The fact that Hirschi and Skujins (and GVA) are all still there at the top of the last climb, to me shows the pace was simply not high enough in the chasing group/peloton. This (imho) is due to Mas doing a great job, looking like the best rider in the race and intimidating others (by how fresh he looked) that attacking was futile. How fresh were the Movistar and Astana guys?
Assuming he's doped, are we assuming the rest of the peloton isn't doped? Or not doped as much? Why would they dope "a little"? Wouldn't you dope as much as possible without getting caught, or not at all? So, does Quickstep have some secret recipe that is better and less detectable? This seems rather naive imho. Because if not, surely after 130 wins in 2 years, they would have been caught at least once? Surely it'd be a matter of time? Why aren't riders who rode for Quickstep previously, giving their secrets to their new team doctors? If those teams don't dope, why would they attract former DQS riders, since they got their results due to dope? If you are looking for a new top sprinter, and you know/assume Gaviria is doped (because i assume other teams know when a team is doping, there are dozens of transfers every year, staff going from one team to another), and there will be a massive drop in results. What's the use in persuing DQS riders? Why are DQS riders generally the most coveted in the peloton?
I could see how DQS docs are ahead of the curve for a short time, until other teams catch up (and lead). I don't believe this can last for basically decades. Drugs & meds are being produced and researched all over the world by dozens of labs. Somehow DQS always has the best and latest, before anybody else. Even better, without the other teams/doctors ever finding out, or being approched by the manufacturers saying "hey, this is the stuff DQS uses, undetectable and results are guaranteed". The only explanation would be, that they are bribing/blackmailing high up the foodchain, and nothing ever gets out. In an age of anonymous whistleblowers, hackers, untracable IP addresses, i also find this hard to believe.
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