Soudal - Quick Step Thread

[wheresmybrakes]

Maybe the riders are on a go slow protest, as everything seems to revolve around Team Remco and his goals.

 

[shadowrider]

Maybe the riders are on a go slow protest, as everything seems to revolve around Team Remco and his goals.

Maybe. But that is not the main problem. After changing teams, Ala, Asgreen and Lampaert will not perform either.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

The climbing part of the team performed well in the past year and this year. Van Wilder, Serry, Vervaeke have had some of their best results.

The Classic squad led by Lampaert, Asgreen, Moscon... They've had a shocker of a campaign.
Merlier is the one bright note on that part of the team. He is solidifying his status as second best sprinter in the world.

 

[Salvarani]

Maybe the riders are on a go slow protest, as everything seems to revolve around Team Remco and his goals.

Not a bad shout.

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

Maybe the riders are on a go slow protest, as everything seems to revolve around Team Remco and his goals.

Slowly riding themselves into contracts with Pro Conti teams.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Can we please refrain from all further speculation until after Fausto Masnada descends from Etna to do a giro podium.

 

[SafeBet]

Because Asgreen, Lampaert and Alaphilippe (very relevant in 2 RvVs before his performance level dropped big time) has fallen of a cliff. Yes they have lost many guys that used to be good in the cobble classics, but also they dropped of the last few seasons before they left (Stybar, Senechal, Ballerini etc). Since 2021 they have been just very bad and worse every year, and it’s not because they have a team of cobble specialists. It’s because their cobble specialists got more or less irrelevant.

Probably semantics, but in my opinion a cobble specialist who's been barely relevant for 3 straight cobble campaigns, while actually producing a number of decent to good results in other races (Asgreen has won a TdF stage for instance), well, is no longer a cobble specialist.
And their recent streak of bad results shouldn't come as a surprise. That's their level. Decent to good riders who happen to ride cobble classics because the team has no credible alternatives.

 

[Kwaremonster]

There clearly is some significant scientific development when it comes to preparing for cobbled classics that they missed out on. I heard alpecin sleep with cobbles under their pillows and hire people to throw beer and urine at them during training.

 

[AmRacer]

to throw beer, urine and cobbles at them during training

 

[cellardoor]

Well. Evenepoel performed ok at his level before his crash. So did his mountain-teammates. Merlier was excellent in his domain. Winning sprints in stages and semi-classics. The youngsters did well. Even if the medical guidance and foodapps are not of top level in the Soudal-Quickstepteam, the problem isn't there. Ala, Asgreen and Lampaert have an attitudeproblem and don't live (or didn't live in winter) as proriders.

In a rapidly evolving top sport you will no longer be able to make it on the basis of talent alone.

What is your reason for thinking that Lampaert doesn't "live like a pro-rider in the winter"?

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Probably semantics, but in my opinion a cobble specialist who's been barely relevant for 3 straight cobble campaigns, while actually producing a number of decent to good results in other races (Asgreen has won a TdF stage for instance), well, is no longer a cobble specialist.
And their recent streak of bad results shouldn't come as a surprise. That's their level. Decent to good riders who happen to ride cobble classics because the team has no credible alternatives.

I feel like if somebody's biggest win is Tour of Flanders, and they don't have any else, it's fair to call them a cobble speciealist

 

[Ricco']

Next year they should just bring Remco to RvV. At the moment it's their best and maybe only opportunity to win their home monument and no, I'm not forgetting that he may not have the right technique to ride cobbles.

 

[hayneplane]

Next year they should just bring Remco to RvV. At the moment it's their best and maybe only opportunity to win their home monument and no, I'm not forgetting that he may not have the right technique to ride cobbles.

Exactly. He might not cope with the cobbles but right now we know for sure none of their perennial classics guys are still good enough to contend so it doesn’t make sense to rely on them.

 

[shadowrider]

What is your reason for thinking that Lampaert doesn't "live like a pro-rider in the winter"?

Lampaert is no longer fanatically involved in his sport.[deleted by mod] It's not that he doesn't work hard anymore. But that one percent difference ensures that Lampaert, as an aging sub-topper, is no longer involved. Especially now that cycling is evolving faster and faster. I don't know what the problem is with Asgreen in recent years. But he looks particularly lethargic and resigned.I thought he would bounce back after a good Tour 23. But he didn't.

 

[Berflamand]

They didn't win a single NC, not even a NC TT, that is disappointing.

It can't have happened a lot in the past and PatLef is probably not happy about it.

Remco better wins the Worlds or that will be a very dull team picture session in december.

 

[Berniece]

They didn't win a single NC, not even a NC TT, that is disappointing.

It can't have happened a lot in the past and PatLef is probably not happy about it.

Remco better wins the Worlds or that will be a very dull team picture session in december.

They were a bit unlucky with Asgreen taking the 2nd place 2 times, and Remco being ill.

 

[Berflamand]

They were a bit unlucky with Asgreen taking the 2nd place 2 times, and Remco being ill.

Yes, they did come close a couple of times, also with Cerny (TT Czech Republic) and Svrcek (Road Slovakia), and they were unlucky that Lampaert couldn't start the Belgian TT after his crash but still, I can't remember a year where they won no jersey at all.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

They were a bit unlucky with Asgreen taking the 2nd place 2 times, and Remco being ill.

You can call it luck, but the team has fallen behind to the rest of the pack in a big way. I think 5 years ago they had 5 or 6 NC jerseys.

But they chose to stick their heads in the sand. Now Lefevere says he knows some guys have been overweight. No sh*t, Sherlock. Add some tactical masterclasses to the mix while you're at it.

 

[Extinction]

You can call it luck, but the team has fallen behind to the rest of the pack in a big way. I think 5 years ago they had 5 or 6 NC jerseys.

But they chose to stick their heads in the sand. Now Lefevere says he knows some guys have been overweight. No sh*t, Sherlock. Add some tactical masterclasses to the mix while you're at it.

But everything has shifted to the Tour in this critical moment, which is why I can't grasp not focussing on lightness and power. Who cares now about NC jersies if the Tour has become a GC priority? It's almost like being a fish out of water.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

But everything has shifted to the Tour in this critical moment, which is why I can't grasp not focussing on lightness and power. Who cares now about NC jersies if the Tour has become a GC priority? It's almost like being a fish out of water.

I honestly do not think, can not imagine, that the Tour has become a GC priority. If that is the priority, you do not hand off your chicken with the golden eggs, to two unproven, inexperienced crew members. On top of all the other issues, nothing this team is doing screams "we want to become an elite GC/GT team". Nothing.

 

[shadowrider]

I honestly do not think, can not imagine, that the Tour has become a GC priority. If that is the priority, you do not hand off your chicken with the golden eggs, to two unproven, inexperienced crew members. On top of all the other issues, nothing this team is doing screams "we want to become an elite GC/GT team". Nothing.

Well, there's the expert again. Your reactions are starting to become quite ridiculous now. Sorry for using the word "ridiculous". But that's the only word/description that can be used.

 

[Extinction]

I honestly do not think, can not imagine, that the Tour has become a GC priority. If that is the priority, you do not hand off your chicken with the golden eggs, to two unproven, inexperienced crew members. On top of all the other issues, nothing this team is doing screams "we want to become an elite GC/GT team". Nothing.

Well, if that is the case, and as a Belgian you should know better than I, it's an absurd and pathetic situation.

PS: Shadowrider has another opinion, so which is it?

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Well, if that is the case, and as a Belgian you should know better than I, it's an absurd and pathetic situation.

PS: Shadowrider has another opinion, so which is it?

You are free to follow his expert opinion. He is after all the personal physician of Evenepoel and Indurain. All he does is make personal attacks, and then spreads lies to try and persuade people he knows what he's talking about.

The team is still working with the same trainer that started not long before Evenepoel turned pro. He has since been training Evenepoel and some of the other high-profile riders. This guy has zero experience training GT riders except for working and experimenting with Evenepoel, and Mas when he turned pro. One year his perfect GT weight is 60kg, the next year his perfect GT weight is 62kg, and since the Giro it is suddenly 63kg again, or even higher. No experienced GT trainers have been brought in by the team to form a second opinion, assist or take over. The DS that has been mentoring Evenepoel for the past years now, is a young inexperienced manager, who has stood out due to tactical ineptitude more than anything else. Let's see if he or Steels will be in the team car, come TDF. Not that Steels has any experience leading a GC team in the TDF, but at least he has experience and seems to be a bit more clever. In 4 years time, the "GT team" that they have put together are, Van Wilder, Landa, Hirt, Vervaeke. Not to berate Vervaeke, but there will be at least 60 better climbers than him at the TDF. Hirt has been useless (and this is not really a surprise considering his strengths and weaknesses he showed in the past). That leaves us with Van Wilder and Landa. Both quality riders, but Van Wilder's progress surely could have been greater in 2.5 years at the team.

So... does this scream "we are (/want to be) a top GT team that goes for overal victories in TDF, Giro and Vuelta"? To me it doesn't.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Cant decide whats better - Logic's over-the-top pessimism about Remco or Roglic' diehard fans convincing us he's in fact gonna win the TdF.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Cant decide whats better - Logic's over-the-top pessimism about Remco or Roglic' diehard fans convincing us he's in fact gonna win the TdF.

No pessimism concerning Evenepoel. Imho still one of the two biggest talents in cycling. Only pessimism concerning the management of his team.