Remco Evenepoel

[Extinction]

I'd call that skill rather than technique, and it's completely separate from the point I was making about pure physical capacity.

Call it however you want, although it doesn't change anything. For if you don't have good race craft, you can't be a world class cyclist period, even if you're a strong as an ox.

 

[houtdffan]

Yes he did, at age 16, the day after playing a full football match for Anderlecht.

and completely untrained for the half marathon

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

Lance and Chris. You're welcome.

I know you acknowledge this later, but winning Worlds at age 21 is kind of a big deal. It’s hard to make the case he showed nothing. And anyways , he was doping that whole time.
Remco’s dad doubtless had connections and they know Johan Bruyneel very well socially apparently, so you know.

However, I am mostly of the mind that it’s likely happening everywhere so just enjoy the show because you’ll never know for sure if anyone is positive.

 

[Extinction]

I know you acknowledge this later, but winning Worlds at age 21 is kind of a big deal. It’s hard to make the case he showed nothing. And anyways , he was doping that whole time.
Remco’s dad doubtless had connections and they know Johan Bruyneel very well socially apparently, so you know.

However, I am mostly of the mind that it’s likely happening everywhere so just enjoy the show because you’ll never know for sure if anyone is positive.

Or surely know

 

[Blobs]

I would have to argue that running (especially professional running) is not as simple as the naked eye would presume. There is a lot of technique and jockeying for position going on (elbows may be involved) - especially on the track when you have to do the turns where every millisecond counts. And then you have to have a perfect start for the sprints because, again, every millisecond counts. And then god help you if you drop the baton during a relay...

I'm not saying one sport is cleaner than the other (because they clearly aren't), but just to write off running like there is no technique or tactics involved I do take issue with.

But that's true in cycling as well. And if we talk about road running then those things are no longer relevant, except maybe right at the start of the race.

Danish runner Anna Emilie Møller was a basketball player, who at 16 took part in a 10k race and beat the elites of her age group, and set a new national age group record shortly after. A few years later she was at the olympics.

 

[gregrowlerson]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1648060549174001665

View: https://twitter.com/omarali50/status/1648060549174001665

Depending on one's online viewing habits, 'the big 6' is not necessarily all that big.

 

[Pirazziattacks]

Call it however you want, although it doesn't change anything. For if you don't have good race craft, you can't be a world class cyclist period, even if you're a strong as an ox.

Why is this constantly getting sidetracked into talk about racecraft? I wouldn't think racecraft has much to do with this section of the forum unless you want to go back to whatever Jonathan Tiernan-Locke was saying about half the peloton being zonked out of their brains on painkillers causing them to take big risks or something like that.

 

[Extinction]

Why is this constantly getting sidetracked into talk about racecraft? I wouldn't think racecraft has much to do with this section of the forum unless you want to go back to whatever Jonathan Tiernan-Locke was saying about half the peloton being zonked out of their brains on painkillers causing them to take big risks or something like that.

I don't know, maybe it's because you talking about it.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Not normal. An absolute freak show.

 

[Savant12]

/insert Dumoulin and WVA meme

 

[robbo]

Guys, race is over or maybe Mr Gianetti will be able to respond in the mountains ?

 

[saganftw]

this is like running 100m sprint in 9.4 seconds

yikes

 

[topt]

hell yeah, thats the pure belgian power we are all talking about; who the F is Ganna or that lame Roglic
3 posts, really Belgians ? Lets just pretend he is from Slovenia to get a debate started.....
I wanted to go to the last mountain stage; I changed my mind today

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Remco knew he had to do something special to not lose the Belgian of the Year award to Luca Brecel. Well done.

 

[Savant12]

And remember folks, Remco is carrying extra weight so more extreme stuff is still to come.

 

[BR2]

hell yeah, thats the pure belgian power we are all talking about; who the F is Ganna or that lame Roglic
3 posts, really Belgians ? Lets just pretend he is from Slovenia to get a debate started.....
I wanted to go to the last mountain stage; I changed my mind today

The thing about Evenepoel is that there is nothing apart from his results that gives stuff to talk about. Do I think it is likely that in the times of some super super aliens there is someone purely fueled by talent who is able to beat them? Nope. But whatever his secret is, it likely started very early and in a way that doesn't shout suspicious. There is no crazy rise of level, no complete change of rider's profile or something like that. There are a few things that one could talk about, the short time when he needed to adjust to the WT, where they might have upped his game, his strong improvement in the sprinting department. But overall it looks pretty harmonious. He's probably my least favourite rider right now, but apart from the results pretty much every other alien looks more suspicious.

 

[Netserk]

The thing about Evenepoel is that there is nothing apart from his results that gives stuff to talk about. Do I think it is likely that in the times of some super super aliens there is someone purely fueled by talent who is able to beat them? Nope. But whatever his secret is, it likely started very early and in a way that doesn't shout suspicious. There is no crazy rise of level, no complete change of rider's profile or something like that. There are a few things that one could talk about, the short time when he needed to adjust to the WT, where they might have upped his game, his strong improvement in the sprinting department. But overall it looks pretty harmonious. He's probably my least favourite rider right now, but apart from the results pretty much every other alien looks more suspicious.

Harmonious? He was 11th in Tirreno and the 8th best uphill in Itzulia before he upped his level for the rest of the season. That was a far more remarkable change than that of Vingegaard the same year, yet the latter was called a July ultra-peaker.

 

[Red Rick]

Think a lot depends on the high mountains this Giro, to see whether it at least follows some sort of consistency with his Vuelta results.

 

[Põhja Konn]

There's a significant difference between crushing Pogacar at the Tour and just about beating Mas at the Vuelta, if nothing else then least in terms of perception. Even if the jump in climbing ability from Itzulia to Vuelta was enormous, Remco's overall level during the latter did not look particularily alien in itself. It was clear he had to pace himself and couldn't just swing at will, like the two protagonists at the Tour.

The other aspect is that his camp has been quite successful in giving explanations about his progress and particular performance levels that at least on the surface have sounded somewhat plausible. The communication about his season's build up and set of goals was so clear last year that already during Itzulia everybody new he will be a different beast in the mountains come Vuelta time. A good example of how a major jump in key ability (which would lead to many uncomfortable questions and insinuations when coming unexpectedly) was being sold to the audience before it actually took place, controlling the expectations and through that making his progress look more measured and normal than it otherwise would seem.

 

[Netserk]

Yet it is not deemed as normal when a rider makes it clear that the Tour is the singular goal of the season, and that everything else will be done with that in mind.

Everyone knew what to expect of Andy Schleck and Lance Armstrong, but still pointed their finger at the “not normal” raise of level.

 

[Salvarani]

Must be nice when you can you just turn a switch and be good for every big target that you have.

 

[Red Rick]

The thing about Evenepoel is that there is nothing apart from his results that gives stuff to talk about. Do I think it is likely that in the times of some super super aliens there is someone purely fueled by talent who is able to beat them? Nope. But whatever his secret is, it likely started very early and in a way that doesn't shout suspicious. There is no crazy rise of level, no complete change of rider's profile or something like that. There are a few things that one could talk about, the short time when he needed to adjust to the WT, where they might have upped his game, his strong improvement in the sprinting department. But overall it looks pretty harmonious. He's probably my least favourite rider right now, but apart from the results pretty much every other alien looks more suspicious.

I see it differently. I think he's been extremely out there ever since he started racing.

Also Quick Step have had like 100 different stories and excuses about why he underperformed one moment then was flying the next moment.

 

[red_flanders]

And remember folks, Remco is carrying extra weight so more extreme stuff is still to come.

He is? How would anyone not on the team know that?

 

[red_flanders]

He's been killing everyone since he got on a bike. Now that's a doper I can tolerate. The clowns who were nothings then became world beaters and tried to convince everyone how clean they are, that bugs.

People can't seriously think anyone at the sharp end is clean still, can they? Come on folks. The pretense ended when they suppressed Froome's positive. They just weren't having any more bad pub. It's been another level for years now.

 

[houtdffan]

He's been killing everyone since he got on a bike. Now that's a doper I can tolerate. The clowns who were nothings then became world beaters and tried to convince everyone how clean they are, that bugs.

People can't seriously think anyone at the sharp end is clean still, can they? Come on folks. The pretense ended when they suppressed Froome's positive. They just weren't having any more bad pub. It's been another level for years now.

Froome should have been busted back when he used 4 puffs on his inhaler before trying to attack Contador in the 2014 Vuelta. That was beyond obvious.

How he escaped at least a 1 year suspension like Pettachhi got for his 2017 positive is beyond me