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Teams & Riders The Remco Evenepoel is the next Eddy Merckx thread

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What is the current consensus on Remco’s Tour plan? All in on GC through all 3 weeks, or will he get tempted to go stage hunting and prioritize Olympics?
I hope that he sticks with GC plan. He needs to find out where he is at against a full field of contenders. If that fails, I highly doubt he will be given as long of a leash to stage hunt as he was in last year's Vuelta.
 
What is the current consensus on Remco’s Tour plan? All in on GC through all 3 weeks, or will he get tempted to go stage hunting and prioritize Olympics?
He says wants a top five (is really aiming for a podium, of course) and stage wins. I'm inclined to believe him.

Don't think he'll defend a minor top 10 placing, if he has to dig deep. So definitely not all-in, in that sense. Once he is dropped hard he'll likely shift his focus to breakaway rides. As well as he should, or he could miss out on Olympic gold.

Last year, post Vuelta, Lefevere said that they - the team - didn't know what to expect, GC-wise.


That was (obviously) before his hampered Tour prep and his less than impressive (by his standards) P-N (yeah, no altitude training, whatever)
 
No stages and podium
He could win the first TT. The only way he could win other stages, is with a Vuelta 23-scenario. Only losing 4 to 5 minutes in the GC, he will not be allowed to go in a break. I don't think he will lose more than 5 minutes the first two week. If he loses extra minutes during the tough last week, he could have the opportunity to go in a break in stage 20 and maybe win that stage. I don't think he could win the TT on the closing day. Not because of the three climbs, but because of the three descents, including the difficult one towards Nice. I think he will lose there at least one minute in those descents, or crash by taking risks.
 
His temperament will push Evenepoel to go for the podium. But his head should push him to go for stages. Therefore consciously lose a lot of time for the GC in advance. A difficult choice, but no doubt he is gonna go for the GC. So, the ideal scenario for Evenepoel, but against his will, would be losing minutes during the Galibierclimb and an extra 2 minutes in the descent. And or lose extra minutes in stages 14 and/or15. Allowing him to go in a break or attack in the finals of the last mountains stages.

But the most likely thing is that Evenepoel will lose a few tens of seconds or even once 2 minutes in every tough mountain stage. Losing to much time for a top five place in the GC, but not enough to get the freedom to go in a break.
 
His temperament will push Evenepoel to go for the podium. But his head should push him to go for stages. Therefore consciously lose a lot of time for the GC in advance. A difficult choice, but no doubt he is gonna go for the GC. So, the ideal scenario for Evenepoel, but against his will, would be losing minutes during the Galibierclimb and an extra 2 minutes in the descent. And or lose extra minutes in stages 14 and/or15. Allowing him to go in a break or attack in the finals of the last mountains stages.

But the most likely thing is that Evenepoel will lose a few tens of seconds or even once 2 minutes in every tough mountain stage. Losing to much time for a top five place in the GC, but not enough to get the freedom to go in a break.
If he wants to learn when it comes to going for TDF GC, he should focus on GC instead of stages. He doesn't expect to win this year, but he wants to learn for the future.
 
Side effects from long altitude training just before Dauphiné.
This could be one reason. But the fact that he hasn't performed this season, and very irregular the previous seasons, makes me fear that we won't see much of Van Wilder at the front during the last kilometers of each final climb. The question remains why Hirt was not reserved for the Tour. In this way, despite attracting Landa, and given the fact that Cattaneo cannot be deployed for one reason or another, Evenepoel's climbing team is even weaker than the climbing teams of 22 and 23.
 
His temperament will push Evenepoel to go for the podium. But his head should push him to go for stages. Therefore consciously lose a lot of time for the GC in advance. A difficult choice, but no doubt he is gonna go for the GC. So, the ideal scenario for Evenepoel, but against his will, would be losing minutes during the Galibierclimb and an extra 2 minutes in the descent. And or lose extra minutes in stages 14 and/or15. Allowing him to go in a break or attack in the finals of the last mountains stages.

But the most likely thing is that Evenepoel will lose a few tens of seconds or even once 2 minutes in every tough mountain stage. Losing to much time for a top five place in the GC, but not enough to get the freedom to go in a break.

This is the worst thing that could happen for the harmony of the team. The team is built around Remco, hence, no sprinter ( Merlier), so he needs to bring his best effort for better or worse. Look back at 2023 when Remco got sick at the Giro and then he reset for the Vuelta which cost Merlier his spot at the Vuelta. We need to look at the bigger picture.
 
This could be one reason. But the fact that he hasn't performed this season, and very irregular the previous seasons, makes me fear that we won't see much of Van Wilder at the front during the last kilometers of each final climb. The question remains why Hirt was not reserved for the Tour. In this way, despite attracting Landa, and given the fact that Cattaneo cannot be deployed for one reason or another, Evenepoel's climbing team is even weaker than the climbing teams of 22 and 23.
Yeah, you keep saying that. And i keep saying he finished 4th in UAE Tour and 4th in Romandie.
 
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Yeah, you keep saying that. And i keep saying he finished 4th in UAE Tour and 4th in Romandie.
Well, keep on dreaming. I don't say (write on this forum) anything. I'm just stating. I recognise the talent of Van wilder. I conclude that Van Wilder has not evolved further (last season and this season). There is no reason that he suddenly wouldn't be able to digest an altitude training camp this year. In addition, he should be bad either just after the altitude training. So the days before the Dauphiné and during the first stage. Only to get better or even good after a few days (the TT !). Or vice-versa. Starting strong the first stages and gradual fading (the TT !). But Van Wilder did neither. Given the past, there is no reason that he would be bad after an altitude training period. Unless he was overtrained. If you have inside information, share it.
 
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Well, keep on dreaming. I don't say (write on this forum) anything. I'm just stating. I recognise the talent of Van wilder. I conclude that Van Wilder has not evolved further (last season and this season). There is no reason that he suddenly wouldn't be able to digest an altitude training camp this year. In addition, he should be bad either just after the altitude training. So the days before the Dauphiné and during the first stage. Only to get better or even good after a few days (the TT !). Or vice-versa. Starting strong the first stages and gradual fading (the TT !). But Van Wilder did neither. Given the past, there is no reason that he would be bad after an altitude training period. Unless he was overtrained. If you have inside information, share it.
Would you say his performance in the dauphine makes sense though? Even if he didn’t progress, he rode much worse than he did the last two years. So there’s clearly something wrong
 
Would you say his performance in the dauphine makes sense though? Even if he didn’t progress, he rode much worse than he did the last two years. So there’s clearly something wrong
Indeed. But I haven't the inside information about Van wilder allowing me to know the reasons of his disappointing performance. Logic should know, but he keeps spewing mist.
Anyway, if overtrained, I hope for Van wilder that the forced rest due to his crash will allow him to recover.